Dirt
by NiftyPaint24
Summary: Sesshomaru is a famous freestyle moto-x rider known for his insane style. What happens when he opens up an academy to teach some of other top riders of FMX how to do his trade mark back flips? Insanity, that's what! SessxKag AU
1. IN SANE WE TRUST

**A/N:** Most of you will remember this fic from waaaay back in 2008…needless to say the world of FMX has changed quite a bit since then. Nowadays riders are throwing down double backflips and front flips (along with a ton of other insane tricks) constantly. When I wrote this there was really only one rider landing backflips in competition (Travis Pastrana) and the idea of him teaching everyone else how to is what sparked his fic. Obviously this fic is outdated now, but I didn't want to change it so drastically by taking out its foundation. So this update is more about editing. Hope you enjoy your second (or tenth!) round of _Dirt_. And those of you that are new, welcome! Hopefully this fic makes you laugh out loud once or twice ;)

Oh! And fair warning: there's a lot of OOCness going on.

 **Title:** Dirt

 **Author:** NiftyPaint24

 **Universe:** Inuyasha AU

 **Genre:** Action/Humor

 **Rating:** M (for later chapters)

 **Spoilers:** None

 **Pairing(s):** Sesshomaru/Kagome (others will show up later)

 **CHAPTER 1: IN SANE WE TRUST**

"I don't know Sesshomaru," Inuyasha said over the popping sound of his dirt bike's exhaust. "I'm not sure it'll work."

"Yeah," Sesshomaru answered contemplating the jump. "Maybe we should pull the ramp back a couple of feet; ten maybe."

Inuyasha tried to visualize what his brother had described to him earlier when they were in the garage, but it was just too far out of his grasp; not unlike most of the things Sesshomaru came up with. Inuyasha gave a heavy sigh and shut his bike off.

"I still have no idea what you're trying to achieve with this. I don't think a body can move like that," Inuyasha said holding an open hand towards the eight foot high steel ramp.

"I told you this morning, it's absolutely possible." Sesshomaru lowered his voice before adding, "If you get the right take off and you can get your body back through the handle bars."

It was the same conversation they always had when Sesshomaru decided that he wanted to 'create' or try something new; this one just happened to have slightly different words. The brothers straddled their battered bikes and eyed the ramp.

"How about we try this in the foam pit? It would be the smart thing," Inuyasha suggested. "That way you won't break your neck."

Sesshomaru nodded.

"When have you known me to do the smart thing?" He asked with a grin.

"Dad's going to kill you if you get hurt. You've got that Red Bull Challenge next week."

They stared at each other for a minute before smiles spread across their faces.

"Special," Sesshomaru said finally.

"So it's back to the house then?" Inuyasha asked.

Sesshomaru's answer was a slight nod as he kick-started his bike. They made the short five minute ride across the property towards the massive garage where their dozens of bikes were kept. They stopped in front and hopped off the bikes, placing them on two open stands. Sesshomaru pulled his helmet off and hung it from the handle bars of his bike before walking towards his modified golf cart.

"Hurry up!" He called to Inuyasha as the younger brother took his helmet off. "If we're lucky, he won't be up yet."

Inuyasha ran to the golf cart and hopped in as Sesshomaru started to drive off. They drove the short distance to one of the three houses on the property. Sesshomaru pulled the golf cart up to the porch near the back door and jumped out, Inuyasha close behind. They climbed the stairs and went through the back door which led to the kitchen. Sesshomaru's girlfriend Kagome was standing over the stove cooking pancakes. She smiled when they all but ran through the kitchen, knowing where they were headed.

"Hey!" She yelled after them. "Do you guys want any?"

"Yeah."

"Sure."

Their answers echoed as they ran up the stairs to the second floor.

As they approached a door at the end of the hallway, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha slowed and carefully opened the door. Inside, their pray awaited; still in bed asleep. The comforter was half off the bed and the sheets were tangled around his body in a way you couldn't replicate if you tried. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha quietly approached the bed, evil smirks plastered on their faces. Inuyasha went around to the opposite side of the bed and waited while Sesshomaru walked into the adjacent bathroom and got a glass of water. When he returned, Sesshomaru held up one finger, then two, then a third and mouthed 'go'. Inuyasha jumped on the bed, trapping a pair of arms as Sesshomaru held down legs and poured the glass of water on their cousin's head.

"What the fuck?!" Their victim yelled still half asleep.

"Are you planning on sleeping all day Koga?" Sesshomaru asked as he pushed himself off the bed.

"I _was_ ," Koga replied grumpily.

"Come on, get up. We've got something for you to try," Inuyasha said as he too stood up.

Koga rubbed the back of his hand over his eyes to wipe the water from them.

"You two are real ass holes you know that?" He asked as he untangled himself from his sheets. "Now I've got to change the freakin' sheets."

"Stop complaining. If you woke up at a normal time, we wouldn't have to be your alarm service," Sesshomaru scolded as he neared the door.

"Six AM is _not_ normal. You two are the freaks. Hey, are those pancakes I smell?"

Sesshomaru laughed. "Yeah, Kagome's making some."

Koga was instantly out of the bed and pulling on a pair of jeans that had been on the floor. He was out the door and down the stairs before Inuyasha or Sesshomaru could say anything further. When they made their way back into the kitchen, Koga was at Kagome's side giving her a kiss on her cheek.

"Good morning beautiful," Koga said warmly.

Sesshomaru gave a low growl. It pissed him off to no end that his cousin still openly showed affection to his girlfriend. Inuyasha laughed at his brother's expense, like he did every time.

"Good morning yourself, Special," Kagome said sweetly before she hit him on the back of the hand with her spatula. "Get your hands off those! Sit down. I'll bring you a plate in a minute."

Koga gave her a goofy grin, but complied and sat down at the dining table. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha joined him and the conversation turned to Sesshomaru's latest idea while they waited for Kagome to finish breakfast.

"So what exactly do you have in mind?" Koga asked, looking up at Sesshomaru.

"I wanted to try a Shaolin back flip," Sesshomaru answered as Kagome brought him a plate. "Thanks."

"Yep," She said as she handed another to Koga.

"Why am I always last?" Inuyasha complained.

"Because you're the rudest," Kagome answered flatly. "If you want to be served first, go eat at your house. Besides, technically I'm last because I serve all of you first."

Inuyasha grumbled into his hand while he waited for his plate. Kagome held it above him for a second, waiting.

"Thanks," he said finally.

"Was that so hard?" She asked nicely before she ruffled his hair and pulled on one of his cute puppy ears.

"Hey!" He squawked.

"Shut up Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said.

Koga smirked before he took a bite of his pancakes. "Mmm. These are fantastic," he mumbled though his mouth full.

"Thanks," Kagome said as she sat down with her own plate. "So, what's a Shaolin?"

"It's basically a bar hop, but you put your legs to either side," Sesshomaru explained.

"Sounds like fun," Kagome said smiling.

"Don't even think about it," Sesshomaru cautioned gruffly.

Kagome frowned, but didn't say anything; her time would come. This was a game that the two of them had been playing ever since she had moved in four months earlier. Now it had progressed into a daily thing; she would beg for him to teach her something new and he would refuse.

"And you want me to try this Shaolin flip thing first?" Koga asked in between shoveling pancakes into his mouth.

"Into the foam pit," Inuyasha clarified.

"I was going to try it on dirt-" Sesshomaru started.

"Dirt huh? Well it doesn't seem that complicated, why don't you want to?" Koga asked

Sesshomaru pointed at Inuyasha. "He believes it to be impossible."

Koga scoffed before he choked. "You should...know better than...that." He criticized in between gasps. "Your brother isn't going to back down because you say he can't do something, dumbass."

"Shut the hell up," Inuyasha shot back. "You know how our dad is about us trying everything into the pit first."

"If you can do a bar hop, this Shaolin couldn't be much more difficult. It's just a further extension," Kagome said before taking a sip of her orange juice.

The three men at the table looked at her.

"What?" She asked with a slight smile. "I can do a bar hop and I'm pretty sure I could do this Shaolin thing too."

"No," Sesshomaru said simply, causing Kagome to pout. "Not until we're landing it solidly on dirt and never in a back flip."

"That's _so_ not stinking' fair," Kagome said before taking another bite of her food.

Sesshomaru shook his head before looking back to Koga. "After breakfast then?"

Koga nodded.

* DIRT * DIRT* DIRT *

"Now," Sesshomaru said loudly so that Koga could hear him over the exhaust of the bike. "You remember what a bar hop is right?"

"You put your feet over the bars, between your hands."

Sesshomaru nodded. "Now for a Shaolin, bring your ass over the bars then hold your legs out."

"Hold them out?" Koga asked confused.

"Yeah, like...spread eagle," Sesshomaru said with a smirk as he looked over at Kagome.

Koga nodded and Kagome shook her head, overhearing their conversation.

"And you want me to do all this while doing a back flip?" Kouga asked with his usual excited expression.

"Yes. Since you're in the pit you don't really have to worry about spotting for a landing. Hell, don't even worry about it. I just want to see if you can get the rotation and the trick done in time to _try_ and make a landing."

"Okay," Koga said as he picked his feet up off the ground and started to ride in a circle, preparing to take his first run at the ramp.

Sesshomaru moved next to Kagome and Inuyasha, who was videotaping the whole event.

"Why don't you move closer to the ramp?" Sesshomaru suggested.

Inuyasha nodded and ran towards the ramp, but off to the side so he could get a better angle than looking straight up.

"When can I try a back flip?" Kagome asked, turning towards Sesshomaru and making her question sound as innocent as possible.

Sesshomaru gave a heavy sigh. "Kagome, why do you want to do one so badly?" He asked keeping his attention on Koga.

"It's just something I want to do. You taught Special and he didn't even know how to ride a motorcycle. At least let me try on a pit bike."

"No."

"But-"

"No," Sesshomaru repeated.

Kagome folded her arms across her chest with a huff as Koga started towards the ramp.

"Faster," Sesshomaru said aloud. "You've got to be going faster!" He yelled.

Then Sesshomaru noticed that Koga was not riding towards the right ramp, he was going for the wooden one that was attached to the pit itself. They only used that one when they were doing a simple back flip, playing on the pit bikes, or on BMX bikes.

"Wrong ramp!" Sesshomaru yelled.

Koga hit the ramp and, once in the air, attempted a back flip, but he didn't have enough height and he fell into the foam pit on his back, the bike landing on top of him. Inuyasha ran towards the ladder on the side of the pit and between laughing and holding the camera, he made an uncoordinated attempt at climbing it.

"Are you alive Special?" He yelled.

Koga gave a muffled yell, which made Inuyasha laugh harder. Inuyasha finally made it to the top of the ladder and set the camera on the ramp before jumping into the foam.

"You dumbass, you have to take the steel ramp for a back flip if you're doing a variation with it," Inuyasha laughed as he attempted to wade through the foam chunks towards Koga.

"Get the effin' bike off me!" Koga yelled.

"Chill God damn it!" Inuyasha yelled back as he grabbed Koga's flailing hand. "Sesshomaru is working on it."

As if on cue, Sesshomaru swung the cable out for Inuyasha to attach it to the bike. He skillfully anchored the cable around the bike's frame and yelled for Sesshomaru to winch it up. Seconds later the bike was hovering in the air with both Koga and Inuyasha clinging to it. Once they were back on the ground, Sesshomaru shut off the winch and walked over to them.

"Next time, take the steel ramp and go faster," he directed as Koga glared at him through the opening of his helmet.

"You should have told me that _before_ I went the first time," Koga said angrily as he started his bike.

Sesshomaru shrugged and slapped him twice on the top of his helmet. "This time don't disappoint me."

Koga nodded and rode back over to his starting point. Sesshomaru walked back over to Kagome while Inuyasha climbed the ladder once more to retrieve the video camera.

"Wouldn't have been a better idea to let him try a Shaolin the regular way before he attempted it with a back flip?" Kagome asked.

"Probably not. This is Special we're talking about." Sesshomaru smirked. "There's a reason we call him that."

Koga revved the bike once and headed for the steel ramp, standing up on his foot pegs. This time he achieved the back flip, managed to do the bar hop and turn it into a Shaolin, but he over rotated and couldn't get back over the handle bars. He bailed off the front of the bike and landed a couple feet away from it. Knowing Koga wasn't trapped under the bike this time; Inuyasha worked the winch and cable, once again hoisting Koga and his bike from the foam.

"Awe yeah!" Koga yelled holding a fist into the air as he held the cable with the other.

Once he was back on the ground, the others laughed as he did his 'I did it' jig.

"One more time and I'll have it mastered," Koga said when he returned to where Sesshomaru and Kagome were standing.

"You've got to bring your legs back over the bars," Sesshomaru reminded him.

"Minor details," Koga said with a dismissive wave of his hand as he rode off once more.

Everyone watched as he again took the ramp and this time preformed the trick correctly, or what they assumed was correct, as none of them had ever seen it done before. After Koga was out of the foam pit and on the ground, Sesshomaru walked over to the garage and pulled one of his bikes off of it's stand and walked it back over towards the ramps. He hopped on and kick-started it, sitting there for a minute afterwards to let the bike warm up.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Inuyasha asked as he walked towards him.

Sesshomaru cocked his head to the side and gave him a weird look, not having heard what he had said.

"Brain bucket!" Inuyasha yelled as he pointed to his head.

"Oh." Sesshomaru nodded and rode the bike back to the garage.

He grabbed his helmet off of the bike that he had been riding earlier that morning and pulled it on. He then rode back to where his brother was waiting and stopped, tying the strap on his helmet. Koga sat on his bike next to Kagome while they watched Sesshomaru get ready.

"How hard was it?" Kagome asked.

"Not that hard, but it takes some major skill to get your ass back on the right side of the bars," he answered with a smile.

Kagome laughed. "As tall as Sesshomaru is, this could prove to be a tough trick for him," She said smiling as she thought of how pissed off he would be if he didn't get the trick perfect the first time.

"Hey, wanna do a back flip?" Koga asked with a grin.

"Yes!" She answered immediately. "Can I use your bike and helmet?"

He laughed and shook his head. "Yeah right, we'll go double."

Kagome thought for a second. Sesshomaru had never offered to do that with her. Was it possible? Sesshomaru would probably kill her just for riding on the bike with Koga, let alone doing a back flip with him.

"He'll kick both of our asses," She said disappointed.

"We'll do it when Inuyasha's got him on the cable. Go get your helmet."

"Okay," Kagome agreed excitedly. "Can we do it off the steel ramp?"

"Sure, hurry up." Koga shooed her away.

Kagome ran across the asphalt towards the garage.

"Hey, what'cha doing?" Inuyasha asked, watching her streak by.

"Getting a drink," She lied as she ran.

"Whul he's going right now," Inuyasha pointed out, a little shocked that Kagome wasn't planning on watching Sesshomaru's attempt.

"Tell him to wait thirty more seconds," she hissed before she disappeared into the garage.

Sesshomaru complied and waited until he saw her partially emerge from the garage.

"Okay," Kagome said waving.

Sesshomaru shook his head, considering her odd behavior for a second, but started for the ramp anyway. Once he started, Koga rode over to Kagome as she pulled her helmet on and watched Sesshomaru. Having done thousands of back flips before; that part came as almost second nature to him. He'd been playing around with the Shaolin the last week or two and pretty much had that down also. However, combining the two proved to be less simplistic then Sesshomaru had convinced himself it would be. He performed the trick to perfection, but if he hadn't been trying it into the foam pit, he probably would be a broken, bloody mess. He flat out ran out of time to get his entire body back over the handle bars before landing into the cushiony foam, his back slamming against the seat of his bike and his head smacking against the rear fender.

Inuyasha wasted no time in getting the cable out to him, laughing when he saw Kagome climb on to Koga's bike in front of him. The two were obviously panning on doing something very stupid. The fact that Kagome was even on Koga's bike showed a serious lack of intelligence as far as Inuyasha was concerned. Koga revved the bike and grinned as he leaned to the side of Kagome's helmet.

"Ready?" He asked and she nodded vigorously. "Alright, hold on to the center of the handle bars and don't let go."

Kagome nodded again and Koga took off towards the ramp. Sesshomaru was still on his bike and attached to the cable when he noticed Koga start towards the foam pit with his girlfriend in tow. He wanted to yell, but he knew there would be no point in it. Koga wouldn't be able to hear him and it was too late. Oh, how Koga would pay.

Koga stood up once they hit the ramp and pulled the bike into a textbook back flip, landing with the front end down slightly. Kagome was laughing so hard she started coughing.

"Are you okay?" Koga asked.

Nodding was the best that she could do as she gasped for air.

"That was so much fun!" She chirped as she pulled her helmet off.

"Yeah," Koga laughed. "Are you prepared for death?" He asked grabbing the cable as it swung over their heads.

"Today's as good of day as any. At least now I can say I've done a back flip. Not on my own, but close enough."

Koga shook his head as he attached the cable and pulled Kagome onto the bike. He then waved a finger around to signal Inuyasha to hoist them up. Once they were back on the asphalt Sesshomaru stood waiting, leaning against his bike, with a frown on his face.

"You stupid son of a bitch," He said glaring at Koga as he took his helmet off.

"It was my idea Sess," Kagome said placing a hand on his chest.

"There is no way in hell you would have thought that up. It has Koga written all over it," Sesshomaru said coolly.

"I'm going to choose to ignore that comment," Kagome said narrowing her eyes at him. "You never said that I couldn't do a back flip with someone else."

"I never said that you could do one with him either."

"Well, you've certainly never offered!" Kagome yelled before she gasped.

She had just let it be known that it hadn't been her idea. Sesshomaru smiled.

"I knew it wasn't your idea. For that you're banned forever from doing a back flip.

Whether with me, or anyone else, and especially on your own."

"You can't-" Kagome started to protest.

"And you," Sesshomaru said pointing to Koga who was laughing. "You're cut off from pancakes."

Sesshomaru smirked, knowing how Koga would react to such a statement.

"What?!" Koga yelled as if Sesshomaru had just informed him that he would be kicking him out of the house. "No, come on. It was harmless. She really wanted to do one and I figured, no, I _knew_ she'd be safe. See-" he said holding his hand out towards Kagome. "She's still in one piece. Not a scratch on her."

"That's not the point," Sesshomaru insisted.

"Relax Sesshomaru." They all turned to see Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's dad, Inu, walking towards them from the garage. "You would save yourself a lot of wasted energy if you would just teach her how to do it herself. Kagome's a competent rider; I doubt that she would get hurt," Inu continued as he stepped closer.

"Thank you, Inu," Kagome said smiling.

He nodded. "As far as cutting your cousin off from Kagome's pancakes...that's just flat out cruel. Speaking of pancakes," Inu said looking at Kagome. "Can I beg you to fix me some?"

Kagome smiled and stepped towards him.

"You don't have to beg for them Inu," she said sweetly as she roughly shoved her helmet into Sesshomaru's hands.

"Fantastic," Inu said grabbing Kagome's hand and turning towards the garage.

Kagome looked over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at Sesshomaru. Inuyasha sniggered.

"What just happened there?" Koga asked no one in particular.

"He always shows up at the worst times. I swear he's turning her against me," Sesshomaru grumbled.

"Does this mean that I'm not cut off from pancakes?" Koga asked, hopeful.

Sesshomaru started pushing his bike towards the garage with Koga and Inuyasha following closely.

"No, you're still not getting any."

"Aw man," Koga whined. "That's the last time I ever do anything nice for her."

* * *

 **A/N:** Now, I take it for granted that I know what these tricks are just by their names. I know that there will be some of you that will have no clue what the difference between and Indian Air and a Hart Attack is or how they're performed. I will try to explain things throughout the chapter, and definitely at the end of every chapter. Thanks for at least reading the first chapter and I hope that I'll have you hooked onto it enough that you'll read some more. o.O

 **Bar Hop:** When the rider moves both feet through the handle bars.

 **Shaolin:** A 'bar hop' with legs pointed out to the sides.

 **Back Flip:** The rider rotates the bike backwards until they have done one full rotation. This was once the Holy Grail of motocross (moto-x), but now is a very common trick having many variants. Variants of this trick include any of the regular tricks, whilst doing a back flip. When naming the trick, the regular trick, for example a Shaolin, is said followed by 'back flip'. Eg: 'Shaolin Back Flip'

Re-posted on: October 3rd 2016


	2. BRAVE BUT UNINFORMED

**A/N** : Thanks for all the reviews! I'm so thrilled there's still some love out there for my silly fic ^_^

 **Chapter 2: BRAVE BUT UNINFORMED**

Kagome jumped up from the couch at the sound of a car engine approaching the house. She ran to the large bay window and squealed.

"They're here!" She ran towards the front door and threw it open before running across the porch, down the steps, and across the driveway. She flung herself into her best friend Sango's arms.

"I can't believe you're here!" Kagome cried happily.

"I know for the whole summer too," Sango added.

The pair started jumping up and down holding onto each other while making an odd noise between a laugh and a scream.

"Geez girls," Sesshomaru said form the porch, shaking his head at how the two greeted each other.

"Where's my welcome hug?" Miroku, Sango's boyfriend, asked as he stepped from the car.

Kagome let go of Sango to run around the hood of the car where she crashed into Miroku, pulling him into a hug.

"I'm so glad you two decided to come," Kagome said as she pulled away from Miroku, not wanting to become a victim of his wandering hands.

"Well when Sesshomaru said I could join in the fun of back flip school for free-" Miroku began with a wide smile as he approached the bottom of the porch. "Who am I to turn down the generosity of such a gravity-defying god?"

"Don't push it Miroku," Sesshomaru warned as he shook hands with him.

"Do you want to unpack first? Then I'll give you a tour," Kagome offered as she again latched herself onto Sango.

"Yeah I guess. Should I pull over there?" Miroku asked pointing to the large guest house they used for the back flip academy students to stay in.

"No. You're staying in our house," Kagome chirped. "I've got the guest room all ready for you two."

"Wow. VIP treatment even," Miroku said with a laugh.

"You two go inside. I'll help Miroku with your stuff," Sesshomaru said to the girls as he followed Miroku towards the back of the car.

Kagome and Sango made their way up the steps of the porch and into the house, with Kagome going on about all the things that she had to show Sango.

"Thanks again Sesshomaru," Miroku said as he pulled his gear bag from the trunk.

"Sure. Kagome would have ranted for a month if I had charged you for the academy and Lord knows what she would have done to me if I had insisted that you stay in the guest house."

"You're so whipped," Miroku teased with a smirk.

Sesshomaru chose not to reply and gave him a cold glare instead. Miroku laughed nervously.

"So um, when's everyone else getting here?" He asked.

"Tomorrow is the official first day, so I would expect the others today as well."

Miroku nodded as they started up the steps. "You're positive it's okay that I borrow a bike?"

"Yes. Everyone rides the beaters at first anyway."

"You're not starting us off on the two-fifties are you?" Miroku asked; a nervous edge to his voice.

"Hell no!" Sesshomaru said with a comical air. "I don't need to be taking someone to the hospital every ten minutes. You'll start on the BMX bikes. Then move on to the pit bikes. Everything will start into the foam pit before we move onto dirt."

"Good," Miroku said relieved.

 ** _dirtdirtdirtdirtdirtdirtdirtdirtdirtdirtdirtdirtdirtdirtdirtdirtdirtdirtdirtdirtdirt_**

After Kagome took Miroku and Sango on a tour of the property, she and Sango went over to the guest house to make sure everything was ready for the academy students. The two split up the six rooms between them and made sure that they were clean and the beds were made. They also checked that the three bathrooms had plenty of towels and essentials. They then hopped into Sesshomaru's lifted Black F-250 and drove twenty minutes into town to go grocery shopping. Five hundred dollars later, they made the return trip home and stocked the fridge, freezer, and pantry.

Kagome was exhausted from all of the running around and convinced Sango to join her in lounging around the pool. Sango gave a contented sigh as she stretched out on her stomach on a chase-lounge.

"I can see why you decided to move in with Sesshomaru," She said with a smile as she turned her head towards Kagome.

Kagome looked over at her friend from her own chase-lounge.

"Yeah, for me it was all about the pool. None of this _love_ crap," She answered with a giggle, flipping onto her stomach to match Sango.

"So you two are doing well then?" Sango asked.

"Mm Hmm. How could things not be good?" Kagome said as she picked up her glass of iced tea from the cement below her. "He's fantastic. Plus I get to live here on his insanely gorgeous eighty-six acres, his family is the best, and I can do whatever, whenever I want."

"Let's not forget that any girl would give her right arm just to stand next to him," Sango added with a grin.

Kagome laughed as she nodded. "There is that too."

They lay basking in the warm summer sun for several more minutes before the sound of an approaching vehicle broke the silence. Kagome propped herself up on her elbows.

"That must be some of the guys for the academy," She mused aloud.

"How many are attending?" Sango asked as she sat up.

"I think six, not including Miroku." Kagome stood up, pulled on a pair of board shorts, and slipped in to her flip flops. "I guess we better go say hi. I'm supposed to play the good hostess slash girlfriend."

Sango laughed as she too pulled on her board shorts and stepped into her flip flops. The girls walked from the pool, around the house, and onto the driveway. They had managed to make it out there before any of the guys had. Three men stepped from the white F-250 and stretched. Kagome walked up to the one who had been driving and held out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Kagome. I'm assuming that you're here for the academy?" She asked with a warm smile.

The man smiled back as he shook her hand, not hiding the fact that he was checking her out.

"Yep that's what we're here for. My name's Bankotsu." He pointed over the hood of the truck at the other two men. "That fruit cake is my brother Jakotsu and the one in the fox shirt is Hiten."

Kagome moved around the truck and shook hands with the other two.

"Oh, this is Sango," She said, grabbing her friend's arm to pull her forward. "The guys must be in the garage. If you want, you can unload you bikes in there and the guest house is over there whenever you're ready to get settled in."

Bankotsu nodded. "Thanks."

"It's what I'm here for," Kagome answered with a casual shrug.

Bankotsu smiled at her before he turned and hopped behind the steering wheel once more. Kagome and Sango stood in the driveway watching as the other two also climbed into the truck. Then Bankotsu turned the truck around and headed in the direction of the garage. Kagome saw Sesshomaru and Koga step from the inside and she waved. Sesshomaru held a hand up in acknowledgment before he said something to Koga, who began walking towards the girls.

As the girls waited for Koga to reach them, Kagome asked Sango, "What do you think was up with the fruit cake comment?"

Sango shrugged. "No idea. Maybe it's a brother thing?"

Koga stopped when he got within arms-reach of Kagome.

"What's up?" She asked.

Koga frowned as he sighed heavily. "Mr. Always-Wants-To-Ruin-My-Day wanted me to tell you to go get dressed."

Kagome looked down at her barely covered body. "But...I am dressed."

"I know right? If it were up to me, you wearing a bikini every day would be a permanent state law or something-"

"Okay," Kagome said as she held up a hand to silence Koga. "I'm going to go put a shirt on."

"I think you should tell him to shove it and loose the board shorts," Koga said smiling.

"I don't feel like angering him today. He's still really mad about our little tryst in the foam pit two days ago."

Sango turned to Kagome with her mouth agape.

"It's not what you think," Kagome quickly said, laughing at Sango's reaction. "Koga and I did a back flip into the foam pit and Sess freaked out."

"Of course he did," Sango said with a roll of her eyes.

She knew how possessive Sesshomaru could be and she could just imagine how he would have reacted seeing Kagome on a bike with someone else. Not to mention with Koga, who openly showed his feelings for her no less.

"Ah, he'll get over it eventually," Koga said waving his hand dismissively.

"For both our sakes I hope so. Mine especially," Kagome said with a grin. "He's been denying me certain...activities."

"Kagome!" Sango gasped.

"I could always fill in for him," Koga offered with a wink.

"Koga!" Sango squealed. "What is wrong with you two?! No wonder he's mad at you both."

"Oh Sango, we're just joking around," Kagome assured her.

"Maybe _you_ are," Koga said as he snaked his arm around her waist.

"Koga, remember our little discussion about personal space?" Kagome asked in a threatening tone.

Koga sighed and let his hand fall from her waist. "You're no fun anymore," He grumbled as he walked away, looking very much like a little kid who had been denied their birthday cake. "I liked you better _before_ you moved in here."

"I'll remember that next time you get me in trouble," Kagome warned with a laugh as she turned towards the house.

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Sesshomaru watched from the bay window of the guest house as two trucks pulled onto the pavement in front of the garage.

"Looks like the last three have arrived," he said aloud, but to no one in particular.

"Who are the others? Anyone we would know?" Jakotsu asked from where his was sitting on the couch next to Kagome.

"You should know Naraku," Sesshomaru said as he turned from the window, frowning at Jakotsu's closeness to Kagome. "The other two, I doubt you'd know them. They haven't been in any competitions yet."

Kagome stood to follow Sesshomaru outside.

"We'll be right back," dhe said as she closed the front door behind them.

Kagome reached the golf cart first and hopped behind the steering wheel. She looked up at Sesshomaru with a grin. He shook his head, but sat down next to her.

"I think that we should have a BBQ tonight," she suggested, staring straight ahead.

"For what purpose?" Sesshomaru asked, although he was happy that she had made the suggestion before he had.

"You know, just an excuse to get everyone together so they can get to know each other."

"Most of us already know each other," He pointed out with a smirk. He loved to frustrate her.

"I know your dad would appreciate it if we did."

"Only because he loves your cooking. You better watch it or my mom's going to be on me to get rid of you," he threatened with a chuckle.

" _Please_. Your mother loves me. I'm sure she's happy that she no longer has to cook for both you and Special all the time. Plus half the time I've got Inuyasha and your dad wondering over for a meal also." Kagome stopped the golf cart in front of one of the trucks. "Since when do I have to beg you to have a party?"

Sesshomaru smiled before leaning over and kissing her gently on the lips.

"I love it when you beg."

Kagome smirked at him before she turned to get out of the cart.

"Hi," she said warmly to the three men that were walking towards them.

"Hey," the one with the neon-green mohawk said with a wave.

Sesshomaru stepped from the golf cart and walked up to the group.

"Glad that you all made it. You didn't have any trouble finding it did you?" He asked.

"Nope," the same man as before said as he held his hand out towards Sesshomaru.

"I'm Hakkaku."

"Sesshomaru," he greeted before turning to Kagome. "This is Kagome."

Kagome stepped forward and shook his hand before turning towards the man to his left.

"Hey I'm Ginta," he said as he took her hand.

"Nice to meet you," Kagome answered with a smile. She then turned to the last one. She had to fight to keep a scowl off of her face when she greeted him. "Naraku, it's been a while."

The said man smiled before pulling her into a tight hug.

"Kagome, my sweet, it's indeed been _far_ too long. I missed seeing you at the last event. Has Sesshomaru taken to hiding you from us?"

"No, nothing like that. I've just been busy around here is all," Kagome answered as she pulled out of his grasp.

Naraku smirked at the look of hatred on her face and almost laughed when he caught the sound of Sesshomaru's warning growl.

"Sesshomaru, I'm glad that I could finally make it to your famed academy this year."

Sesshomaru shook hands with Naraku, but his eyes remained on Kagome.

"Yes. It's about time you stepped up your game to reach the level of the rest of us," Sesshomaru said coolly.

Naraku gave a forced laugh. "Always joking around," he said before looking towards the garage. "So we're ditching the bikes in here I suppose?"

Sesshomaru nodded. "Yes and you'll be staying in the guest house over there." He turned to point in the direction of the house. "We'll let you get settled in. If you need anything just ask."

He turned back towards the golf cart and climbed in, waiting for Kagome.

"See you guys later," she said with a wave as she slid onto the seat next to Sesshomaru.

The others waved as Sesshomaru backed the golf cart up and headed in the direction of his and Kagome's house.

"God I can't stand that guy!" Kagome hissed. "Now I've got to take a shower. I feel so...tainted."

Sesshomaru couldn't help but grin at her reaction.

"Maybe I should assist you."

 _'I guess this means that you're over being angry then.'_ Kagome thought as she turned to him with a grin of her own.

"What about our guests?" She asked.

"What about them? I'm sure they can handle being alone for half an hour."

"Half an hour huh?" Kagome asked as Sesshomaru stopped the golf cart next to the steps of their porch and got out, holding his hand towards her.

"You're wasting valuable time."

* * *

Re-posted on: October 6th 2016


	3. TICKET TO KICK IT

**Chapter 3: TICKET TO KICK IT**

Soft moans of pleasure could be heard over the sound of running water coming from the master bathroom on the second floor of Sesshomaru and Kagome's house. Koga was walking to his room when he happened to hear a particularly loud gasp. He stopped momentarily, grinning as he listened.

"Guess he's not mad anymore," he said to himself before he continued walking. "I don't know how the hell he could keep his hands off her for longer than five minutes anyway. It's amazing that he lasted two freakin' days."

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"Oh...oh God. Sess!" Kagome gasped as she threw her head back against the tiled wall of the shower.

She was clinging to Sesshomaru's shoulders helplessly. If she had been able to think straight at that moment, she would have been amazed that neither of them had slipped and broken their necks. Sesshomaru buried his face into the curve of her neck, lost in the bliss of all that was Kagome. He smirked, like he always managed to, when they finally reached the point where she could no longer form words, but simply gasp. Kagome half slipped, being that she only had one leg supporting her. Sesshomaru pressed her tighter against the tile, his fingertips digging into the grooves that separated the blue squares. He silently cursed the lack of anything to help steady himself with other than the slick tile, but then again, that was the entire point of this. Kagome dug her blunt nails into his shoulders, holding her breath momentarily as Sesshomaru gave a soft growl of pleasure. They stood still clinging to one another for a moment afterwards, taking in shaky breaths, letting the warm water run over them.

"Mmm," Kagome managed before she kissed him tenderly and he pulled his body away slightly, slowly letting go of her leg that he was still holding up against his hip.

"I'm so _very_ happy you're not upset anymore," Kagome said with a soft giggle.

Sesshomaru playfully bit at her bottom lip.

"I take it that you will not be joining Koga in any more of his idiotic ideas?"

"Lesson learned," she answered with a wink. "Okay, now you need to go away so that I can actually _do_ what I came in here for."

Sesshomaru refused to budge when she gently pushed on his shoulder.

"You mean _that_ wasn't the reason you came in here?" He joked.

"No," she said trying to keep a straight face and another, less gentle, push to his shoulder. "Sesshomaru, if you don't leave-"

"You'll do what?" He asked, playfully challenging her.

"I'll...I'll...I don't know, but you _won't_ like it." She jabbed a finger at his chest in hopes it would prove her point.

He still didn't move and renewed his assault on her neck.

"I know you would like to stay in here 'til the end of time-"

"That's not a half bad idea," Sesshomaru said with a smirk and then he frowned. "Actually, maybe it's not. I'm not exactly fond of the idea of being permanently waterlogged."

Kagome laughed. "Yes that _and_ I have fourteen people that I need to start cooking for if you want to eat before midnight."

"Alright," he finally relented, turning to grab a towel from the other side of the shower curtain. "But this is not over."

Kagome smirked at his retreating back and almost made a comment about his cute bare butt, then knowing that would only cause him to return and continue to pester her, she decided that it wouldn't be the best choice.

"Thank you Sess. I love you."

"You're just saying that because you got your way," he grumbled before leaving the bathroom.

Kagome fought back a giggle as she reached for her bottle of shampoo.

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"Why the hell did I suggest this?" Kagome said with a sigh as she finished chopping up some carrots for the salad that she and Sango were currently working on.

"Because you like making people happy?" Sango suggested with a smile.

"And you know that Inu would have been knocking on your door asking you to do it anyway," Izayoi, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's mother, said as she checked on the chili that was cooking on the stove.

"True," Kagome agreed with a smile. "At least he offered to cook the tri-tip."

"That was so he could keep an eye on those rowdy boys," Izayoi said with a slight 'tisk'.

Kagome and Sango attempted to hold back their laughter. Izayoi was just to flippin' cute when she referred to the guys as 'rowdy boys'.

 _'God, if she only knew_ half _of the crap they're going to pull in the next few weeks.'_

Kagome thought as she scooped the carrots into the large bowl that was holding the salad.

Kagome looked up so that she could see just what the said boys were up to. She immediately noticed Inuyasha, Koga, Miroku, and Bankotsu in a chugging contest.

 _'No big surprise there.'_ She thought.

Ginta, Hakkaku, and Hiten were cheering them on, while Sesshomaru, Naraku, and Jakotsu were having a discussion. Jakotsu was making crazy hand gestures and Kagome tried, in vain, to figure out just what the three could be possibly talking about. Then she laughed when she saw Inu step from behind the BBQ and grab a can of beer from Inuyasha before joining in their next 'contest'.

"What's so funny?" Izayoi asked.

"Um...the boys' chaperon...has joined in their little reindeer games," Kagome said, still laughing.

"What?!" Izayoi cried, pushing Kagome out of the way so that she could see out of the kitchen window. She gasped. "What is he thinking?!"

She turned and bee-lined it towards the back door, throwing it open. "Inu!" She yelled in a shocked tone.

Kagome and Sango burst into a whole new fit of laughter as Inu choked and threw his almost empty beer can at Inuyasha.

"Yes…dear?" He sputtered.

"Don't you 'yes dear' me mister! You're supposed to be the adult."

Everyone outside was now practically rolling on the deck they were laughing so hard.

"They are all adults as well dear," Inu attempted to smooth things out.

"Well, you're still a heck of a lot older than they are. Inuyasha! Put those beers down right now!"

Inuyasha stopped laughing immediately.

"They're empty anyway," he offered.

"I don't care. You're only twenty and the last time I checked, the drinking age was twenty-one."

"Mom, my birthday's in like two months. Does it really matter?" Inuyasha said as he silently cursed his mother.

"Yes, now put it down!"

Inuyasha did as told, grumbling the entire time. He leaned against the railing of the deck and pouted.

 _'At least I got to have three before she noticed.'_ He thought with a slight smirk, before going back to pouting.

Inu had resumed his tending to the cooking meat, hoping beyond hope that his wife would go back into the house with the other girls. He breathed a sigh of relief when she did, grumbling to herself about her idiotic younger son. Once the back door closed again, he pointed the spatula he was holding in Inuyasha's direction.

"Quit pouting."

"I'm not."

"Funny, where I come from that would be considered a pout. And I must say, it's a very cute one too," Jakotsu said as he moved next to Inuyasha's side.

Far too close to Inuyasha's side as far as he was concerned; Inuyasha moved away a step or two.

"You can have more-" Inu started as he looked towards the door to make sure his wife hadn't decided to come back out. "Just slow down and don't make it obvious."

Inuyasha smiled as he stepped over to the ice chest.

"I don't care what mom says about you dad. You rock," Inuyasha said happily as he dug through the freezing water and ice to find what he was searching for.

"Sure, sure. I'm only saying this once. If your mother comes out here and catches you...you're on your own. Got it?"

Inuyasha nodded as he took off in the direction of Koga and Miroku.

"Dude what's up with Jakotsu?" He asked as he popped open his beer.

"Why?" Miroku asked.

"He's kind of... He's weird."

"Did he hit on you?" Koga asked smirking.

"Spsh...no. Why?"

"He's gay," Koga explained.

"Are you serious?!" Inuyasha asked much louder than he anticipated. He looked around to make sure that he hadn't caught the attention the person they were speaking of. "You're shittin' me?"

Koga shook his head in wonderment. "You've never picked up on that with all the competitions you've been to?"

Inuyasha shook his head.

"I think you should go talk to him. You two would make a cute couple and he's obviously into you," Miroku suggested, laughing.

"That's so...not...funny." Inuyasha ground out before he walked away, glaring at both Miroku and Koga as they laughed at his expense.

"I can't believe that dumb ass doesn't know when someone's hitting on him," Koga mused aloud as he turned his attention to the back door.

Kagome and Sango both came out of the house, their arms full of food.

"Need help?" Koga asked.

"Yes. Thanks," Kagome answered with a sigh of relief.

Koga took the large salad bowl that she was balancing on her left hip.

"Just set it somewhere on the table," she directed.

"Please tell me that you made your garlic bread," Inuyasha begged as he stepped up next to her.

"Yes I did. You're dad just needs to put it on the BBQ," Kagome answered with a smile as she took his beer from him.

"Hey?!" He protested.

"Thanks for getting me a beer Inuyasha," Kagome said louder than necessary when she saw that Izayoi had followed her onto the deck.

Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's arm gently.

"Oh man. Thank you." He whispered.

"If you weren't intent on drinking yourself into oblivion, you would have noticed her yourself," Sesshomaru pointed out with a smirk as he walked up to Kagome's other side. "Everything looks fantastic," he complemented Kagome before gently kissing her on the lips.

"Thank you," she said happily. "Now, what have I forgotten?"

Kagome glanced over the picnic table, searching for anything that should be there but wasn't.

"Whoops, almost forgot the forks and napkins," she said before turning to get the missing items out of the kitchen.

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It was late, around midnight, Inu and Izayoi had long ago gone to bed. But not before making sure that they lectured everyone on the importance of a good night's sleep before doing so. And yet, everyone was still up, with the exception on Inuyasha who had passed out a little after eleven. They sat in lawn chairs around a fire pit that was near the pool, making small talk about what the up-coming weeks would hold. Sesshomaru was happy to find out that he and Naraku would not be the only ones that were entered in the Red Bull Challenge that was taking place in just four days. Bankotsu, Hiten, and Jakotsu would also be competing. It was decided that the others would go along for the ride. Well, Inuyasha, Koga, and Miroku always went anyway, but it would be good for Ginta and Hakkaku to experience a real competition.

Kagome was sitting in Sesshomaru's lap, due to the fact that there weren't enough chairs for everyone, or at least that was the excuse that Sesshomaru used when he offered the idea. She craned her neck at an odd angle so that she could look up at him.

"You're all going to be worthless in the morning," she pointed out before she yawned.

Sesshomaru smirked. "Are you worn out?"

Kagome nodded and moved to stand up. Once she accomplished this small feat, she stretched.

"Good night all," she said giving a half-hearted wave to everyone before she started up the steps of the deck. Once at the top, she stopped and looked down at Sesshomaru. "Don't leave Inuyasha out here okay? At least bring him in the house and put him on the couch."

Sesshomaru nodded, not having _any_ intention of following her instructions. Sango was the next to stand and say her 'good nights' before vanishing into the house. Jakotsu stood to leave shortly afterwards.

"What time are you planning on getting started in the morning?" He asked Sesshomaru.

"Late I hope," Bankotsu said as he stood and swayed slightly before gaining his balance.

"Eleven," Sesshomaru said as he too vacated his lawn chair. "We'll meet at the garage. I think it would be best if we started on the BMX bikes and the indoor foam pit."

"You have an indoor one too?" Hakkaku asked amazed.

"Yes," Sesshomaru said as he moved towards the stairs.

"Aren't you going to take Inuyasha in?" Miroku asked from his chair that happened to be next to Inuyasha's.

"No," Sesshomaru answered simply as he continued across the deck towards the back door of the house.

"Come on Miroku," Koga said as he hooked an arm around Inuyasha's shoulders. "Help me with him will ya?"

Miroku watched Sesshomaru disappear through the door before he moved to help Koga.

"He's going to take the credit for this isn't he?" Miroku asked flatly.

"Definitely," Koga said as they staggered up the stairs carrying the still unconscious Inuyasha between them.

* * *

Re-posted on: October 10th 2016


	4. UNCHAINED

**Chapter 4: UNCHAINED**

Kagome woke in the morning to an empty bed. She rolled from her side onto her back and stretched. She then swung her legs off the side of the bed and pushed herself to her feet. She shuffled to the bathroom and looked at her reflection in the mirror blinking several times.

"Oh...that's niiiiice," she mumbled.

Her hair was just past the point of being slightly disheveled. She grabbed a hair brush off of the counter and ran it through her hair in an attempt to tame it. After which she washed her face and brushed her teeth before returning to the bed room. She thought about changing out of her tank top and Sesshomaru's boxers that she wore as pajamas, but decided that she wanted breakfast first and made her way down stairs. As Kagome padded onto the tile floor of the kitchen she noticed Inuyasha's sleeping form on her couch. She smiled and shook her head as she reached the fridge. She pulled out the milk and set it on the counter. She then pulled a bowl from the cupboard, a spoon from a drawer, and a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch from another cupboard. After pouring herself a bowl of the sugary cereal she poured some milk on it and then moved to sit at the table.

As she happily munched on her cereal, Inuyasha half-heartedly woke up. He slowly opened his eyes, bringing his left hand up to rub the sleep from them. He attempted to roll over, hoping that he would be able to fall back asleep, knowing that it was _far_ too early for him to be awake, but those hopes were quickly dashed when he fell from the couch with a loud 'thud'.

"Sonuvabitch!" He yelled in both shock and pain, since he landed with most of his weight on his hip.

His attention was then pulled to the kitchen when the sound of Kagome's laughter reached his ears.

"Shut up," he muttered as he pushed himself up from the hardwood floor.

"Good morning Mr. Grumpy," Kagome greeted sarcastically in between bites.

Inuyasha staggered to the table and pulled out the chair that was next to Kagome before sitting down with a groan.

"I passed out?" He asked, resting his face in his hands.

"Yep."

"Was it your idea to bring me inside?"

"Yep."

The two were silent for a moment, other than the sound of Kagome's spoon clinking against the side of her bowl every few seconds.

"Can I get something to eat?" Inuyasha asked, knowing he would feel a little better once he ate.

"Sure, I bought you some Lucky Charms yesterday."

Inuyasha stood up and leaned over Kagome, in a rare display of affection, he kissed the top of her head.

"Thank you," he said in an even rarer moment of seriousness. It wouldn't last long though. "What are you wearing?"

Kagome looked down at her clothes. "Pajamas."

"Are those...never mind," he said holding up a hand as he continued towards the cupboard he knew housed the cereal. "I don't want to know how it started or why you wear my brother's underwear as pajamas."

"What's wrong with it?" Kagome asked, truly wondering why he would find it so unnerving.

"Nothing," Inuyasha said as he ripped the box of his favorite cereal open.

"Gah! Inuyasha!" Kagome shrieked as she pushed herself from the table and quickly made her way to his side. "Don't destroy the damn box. You're like having a five year old around. Gimme that!" She shouted as she yanked the mangled box from his hands.

He pouted about the five year old comment while he waited for her to pour him the cereal. When she was done, she slid the bowl down the granite counter top where he carefully stopped it with both hands.

"Thanks," he said automatically as he proceeded to pour half the carton of milk on it and headed back to the table.

"Could you people be a little louder this morning?" Koga hissed as he appeared at the bottom of the stairs, clad in only a pair of bright purple boxers.

"Sorry Koga. Would you like some cereal?" Kagome asked as she turned to face him. "That's an interesting shade of purple."

Inuyasha looked up briefly before digging back into his cereal. Koga moved from the steps and towards Kagome.

"If you like them so much, I'll let you have them," Koga offered with a wink as he playfully pulled at the waistline of the blue ones that she was wearing.

"No...I'm good thanks," Kagome said slightly unnerved by the idea of wearing Koga's boxers.

 _'Oh...so that's what the little punk's problem was.'_ She thought about Inuyasha's earlier reaction.

"What kinda cereal do we got?" Koga asked.

Kagome shook her head at his horrible grammar.

"We _have_ Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fruit Loops, and Lucky Charms."

"Not-uh! The Charms are all mine," Inuyasha protested.

"Lucky Charms sound good," Koga decided, reaching for the box.

"Kagoooome!" Inuyasha whined.

"Inuyasha, you're such a baby. There's plenty of cereal for you both," Kagome chided as she pulled a bowl out of the cupboard and handed it to Koga.

"You know mine are better than Sess'," Koga said matter-of-factly.

Kagome looked at him for a second before she realized that he was back on the topic of boxers.

"His _are_ boring, but I think he would get a little angered if I started wearing yours."

Koga nodded as he dug for a spoon in the drawer and headed to the table, sitting opposite Inuyasha.

"Speaking of the frosty one, where is Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha asked, never looking up from his bowl.

"I don't know," Kagome answered with a shrug. "I suppose he's out in the garage. What time are you guys supposed to start class?"

Koga sniggered at her use of the word class. What they were all participating in that morning could hardly be described as a _class_.

"He said eleven. What time is it now?" Koga asked turning around to look at Kagome.

She looked to the digital clock on the microwave. "Nine-thirty," she answered.

"Then what the hell is he doing out there now?" Inuyasha wondered aloud.

 **oxoxoxoxox DIRT oxoxoxoxoxo**

Sesshomaru pulled three BMX bicycles from a corner of the garage and pushed them, one at a time, over to the indoor vert ramps that were on the far side of the large building. There were a total of two ramps. One that was your normal, everyday vert and the other was modified. Half of the one side was cut away with a foam pit attached. It wasn't as large as the one outside, since they only used bicycles in it.

Once he had the bikes pulled out, he pulled the tarp that covered the foam pit off and returned to the front of the garage. He made his way to the stereo and turned it on, then pressed the play button. Over My Head by Sum41 came blaring over the six speakers throughout the garage. He shook his head; this was yet another one of Inuyasha's home-made CD's. No matter how many times Sesshomaru threw them away, telling Inuyasha that his taste in music was horrible, they always seemed to reappear in the CD player. Sesshomaru bobbed his head with the beat of the music, vowing never to admit it to Inuyasha, but he actually liked this song. He adjusted the volume lower; the fact that it was set so high was yet another sign that his dear younger brother had been the last to use the system.

 _'How he can stand it being that loud I'll never know.'_ Sesshomaru thought as he wandered over to his motorcycle that he would be using in the up-coming competition.

He had decided the night before that he wanted to change the plastics to white from the yellow they were currently. This would also require replacing _all_ of his sponsorship stickers. He walked to the work bench and looked up at the clock that was above it as he grabbed a ratchet.

 _'Kagome should be up by now. Hopefully she'll come looking for me.'_ He thought as he walked back over to the waiting bike.

Sesshomaru knew Kagome enjoyed the tedious task of applying the stickers. Why? It was beyond him. He was normally a patient person, but the continuous peeling, sticking, and smoothing out slowly drove him insane. Whereas Kagome could sit there for hours completely engrossed in the task. He shook his head once more as he began the task of removing the front fender.

 **oxoxoxox DIRT oxoxoxoxo**

Sesshomaru, Koga, and Inuyasha stood next to the foam pit at the back of the garage. Both Koga and Inuyasha were holding bicycles, while Sesshomaru explained what exactly they would be doing. The students stood facing the vert, all holding their helmets, which Sesshomaru insisted they use.

"Safety first is our motto," he had said, causing Koga and Inuyasha to laugh.

"The first thing I think we should do is let you all get comfortable with the ramp and doing _something_ into the pit. Just so you can get the feel for timing. I'm hoping that you all have some type of feeling for this already," Sesshomaru went on, looking at Ginta and Hakkaku.

"Alright, let's get started," he continued as he clapped his hands together. "Inuyasha and Special will go a couple of times just to show that no matter what idiotic thing you do...you won't be hurt. Hopefully," he added under his breath as he turned to face Koga and Inuyasha.

The two made their way to and up the steps of the vert ramp. Once at the top Inuyasha swung his leg over the bike he was holding and prepared for his first go.

"Any requests?" He asked grinning.

"Kiss of death," Koga suggested instantly.

Inuyasha couldn't see it because of Koga's helmet, but he knew Koga was smirking under there just the same.

"Don't hold back now. Make sure it's something really hard," Inuyasha drawled sarcastically.

Koga knew the kiss of death was a trick that Inuyasha really wanted to achieve, but whenever he attempted it, it would turn out less than spectacular.

"We haven't got all day," Koga prodded.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, I'm going," Inuyasha grumbled.

He placed one foot on a pedal and took a deep breath before he pushed off with the other foot. He had a great deal of speed going down the ramp and carried it through going up the other side. Once air-born, he pulled his feet from the pedals and flung his body upwards, while he brought his face over the handle bars. It was perfect...until his body started falling forward over the bike. He landed in the foam pit on his back with the seat of the bicycle smacking into his helmet.

 _'Thank God for whoever invented helmets and big chunks of foam.'_ He thought as he righted himself and drug the bike over to the side of the pit.

It was slow going, but he eventually made it.

"See on dirt, he would definitely _not_ be walking right now," Sesshomaru said, attempting to not laugh.

"Will someone help me out?!" Inuyasha yelled, buried waist deep in the foam chunks.

Hiten and Bankotsu were first to move to his assistance, each grabbing an arm and pulling him out of the pit. They then grabbed the bike and Inuyasha made his way back to the top of the ramp, where Koga waited, laughing.

"Nice variation with the back flop. Although I don't think it will gain you too many points at any competition," Koga laughed as he readied for his go.

"Yeah laugh it up purple boxer boy," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Purple boxer boy? Seriously, you need to work on your comebacks."

"Whatever. Let's see you do a rock solid."

"No problem. I could do those in my sleep," Koga stated as he started down the ramp.

He flew up the other side and into the air above the foam pit. He pulled his feet from the pedals, moved his hands from the handlebars to the seat and held onto it for a split second before letting go. Koga held absolutely no contact with the bike whatsoever for what seemed like minutes, but it was only seconds, before he grabbed the seat with one hand and the handle bars with the other performing a hart attack. He landed with an odd 'poof' sound, sending foam chunks flying in every direction. When his head finally popped up from the depths of the pit, every one clapped. Well, Jakotsu, Ginta, and Hakkaku clapped. The others stood there watching Inuyasha pitch a fit at the top of the ramp.

"Fuckin' show off!" He yelled down.

Koga's reaction was to laugh and flip him off. Once Koga was out of the pit, Sesshomaru turned to face everyone again.

"Okay, I only have the three bikes so-" Sesshomaru started.

"Ooo! Ooo! I call getting one first!" Jakotsu shouted, looking like he would start jumping up and down at any second.

"Alright," Sesshomaru said slowly. "I will go first, just to show you the form. But remember, before anyone tries to do an actual back flip, practice doing some other tricks." He grabbed the third bike that was leaning against the side of the foam pit and carried it up the steps of the ramp. He stopped next to Inuyasha and threw a leg over the bike.

"Let me borrow your helmet," he ordered, holding his hand out towards Inuyasha.

"First of all, no; and second, there's no way my helmet will fit your big-assed head."

Sesshomaru sighed.

"You wear two sizes larger in a helmet then I do Inuyasha. Now, let me borrow your helmet for thirty seconds."

Inuyasha sighed dramatically as he roughly pulled on the strap that tied his helmet on.

"I don't see why you can't just use your own."

Sesshomaru ignored his rambling as he took the helmet from him and pulled it on.

"Okay," He began, loud enough so that everyone below could hear him. "It's just like doing a back flip off of the diving board-"

"I can never manage to do that," Miroku interrupted.

"Then you are going to have a much more difficult time than the others."

"That can be your homework," Koga sniggered. "Practicing back flips off the diving board."

"Shut up Koga," Miroku said, folding his arms across his chest, almost pulling off one of Inuyasha's famous pouts.

"Moving right along," Sesshomaru continued. "The only real difference is that you have to pull the bike with you."

Sesshomaru pushed himself off and went down the ramp. When he started up the opposite side of it, he squatted down slightly. When the bike took off from the lip of the ramp, he tilted his head back, pulling his body and the bicycle around in a flip. He landed just to the far side of the center of the foam pit, both wheels hitting at the same time.

"When doing a back flip you have to be doing three things differently than you do for any other trick you'll ever perform," Inu said as he walked into the awestruck group.

Sesshomaru after all, had made an incredibly complicated trick look as simple as walking in a straight line.

"Hey Mr. Taisho," Miroku greeted with a smile.

"Miroku," Inu replied with a nod of his head.

"What are the three things?" Ginta asked.

"You have to go faster in order to go higher and farther," Sesshomaru said as he jumped down from the side of the foam pit.

"So speed, height, and distance?" Jakotsu asked.

"Yep," Inu said smiling. "I'm sad to see that you've already started for the day. As late as you boys were up last night, I thought for sure that you wouldn't be starting before noon."

Sesshomaru shrugged, not bothering to wonder why this would upset his father.

"I have a late student to add to the class," Inu explained. "I'm surprised they're not here yet actually."

"You allowed someone else in?" Sesshomaru asked both surprised and angered.

"Yes. Well, I normally wouldn't interfere, but this was a special circumstance," Inu explained with a smile. "This person shows such dedication; so much heart, I could hardly turn them away."

"You at least charged him for it right?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Oh don't worry about that," Inu said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I'll take care of it."

"That would be a no then," Sesshomaru said lowering his head slightly. "Well, when he decides to show up, I'll catch him up. Here Jakotsu, I believe that you wanted to go first."

"Yeparoonie," Jakotsu said taking the bicycle from Sesshomaru and heading for the stairs of the ramp.

"Alright, Naraku and Hakkaku can take the other two bikes. Just do something to get use to the ramp and what not and then you can all take a crack at a back flip," Sesshomaru said as he walked towards the foam pit.

Inuyasha and Koga stood at the top of the ramp with Jakotsu, Naraku, and Hakkaku.

"Okay Jak," Koga began, slapping a hand on Jakotsu's back. "Let's see something fancy."

"Oh it'll be fantastical alright," Jakotsu said as he tightened his helmet before pushing himself off the top of the ramp.

He aimed for the center of the ramp, easily catching a good amount of air off of the lip on the other side. He took his feet off of the pedals and pulled both the bike and his body vertical. Then he bent his legs at the knees over the front wheel of the bike. Then pushed the bike back to a normal position and brought his feet back onto the pedals before he landed in the center of the foam pit.

"Whoo!" Bankotsu yelled. "Nice Tsunami fruit cake!"

"That was insane. I can't do something like that," Miroku complained.

"No one's expecting you to," Sesshomaru said.

"What's funny is you've never done any kind of freestyle in your life. Yet here you are...learning to do a damn back flip."

Miroku, as well as everyone else, turned to see Sango and Kagome standing next to Inu.

"Sango...I didn't know that you were planning to watch," Miroku said nervously.

"Oh I wouldn't miss _this_ , for a million bucks," Sango said smiling.

"Miroku's going to do fine," Koga said confidently. "You're up Naraku. Make us proud," he added with a slap to Naraku's helmet.

"Right. I thought this was just to get use to the ramp. Not show off our arsenal of tricks."

"Ooo touchy. Fine do what you want," Koga said holding his hands up in submission.

"It's not like we've never seen your bag of tricks before," Inuyasha said from his position leaning against the wall.

"Shut up and go already," Hakkaku said impatiently.

Naraku didn't waste any more time and started down the ramp. Once he was in the air he pulled both his feet up and around his hands over the handlebars, clicking his heels together. He landed almost exactly where Jakotsu had.

"Oh a heel clicker," Jakotsu drawled from next to Inuyasha. "How original."

"Shut the hell up you freak!" Naraku yelled from amidst the foam.

"He is a testy little thing isn't he?" Jakotsu commented to Inuyasha as Hakkaku pulled his helmet on.

"Knock it off," Sesshomaru said coolly, bring the minor squabble to an end.

"Do something fierce Mohawk," Jakotsu cheered as Hakkaku walked his bike to the edge of the ramp.

"Mohawk?!" Hakkaku whined, turning around to look at Jakotsu. "That's what nick-name you've decided on? Come on, there's got to be _something_ better than that."

"We've only been here a day. Give me some time. For now you shall be known as Mohawk," Jakotsu said seriously.

"Get on with it Mohawk. We haven't got all day," Inuyasha said with a snort.

"Mohawk..." Hakkaku mumbled under his breath. "Of all the lame..." he continued as he rolled down the ramp.

He caught major air off the other side of the ramp, going almost as high as Sesshomaru had for his back flip. He flung his feet off of the pedals and moved them out away from, but parallel to the bike. Then he did a 'scissor kick' with his legs.

"Oow baby! An Indian Air. He did an Indian Air. I didn't know he knew how to do those," Jakotsu rattled on.

"Yes, yes. Fantastic. Now you all seem pretty comfortable with the ramp, so go ahead and attempt a back flip," Sesshomaru said as he helped Hakkaku from the foam pit.

"Okay boys. Here we go," Jakotsu said as he prepared to drop onto the ramp.

"Five bucks he does a header," Inuyasha whispered to Koga.

"You underestimate the little flame boy," Koga said with a laugh.

"Ten bucks says that I do it," Jakotsu said as he rocked the bike back and forth.

"Fine," Inuyasha answered.

Jakotsu dropped down into vert and went about six feet above the height that Sesshomaru had gone, pulling the bike around. He spotted his landing and ended up landing with the front end slightly up.

"Oh. My. Friggin'. God," Inuyasha said slowly.

"Told you," Koga said with a smirk. "He can do things in the air you couldn't even think about."

Jakotsu struggled out of the foam and jumped onto the concrete floor of the garage. He held his hands in the air above his head and snapped his fingers while he did an odd sort of shimmy thing.

"Skiddlydoo!" He shouted.

Everyone was laughing at his reaction.

"That's ten dollars you owe me you little twit," Jakotsu said pointing up at Inuyasha.

"Big deal, I did one on my first try too."

"You don't have to be all snarky about it. You're just angry that you were wrong."

"Snarky? That's not even a word you dumb ass," Inuyasha said laughing.

"Yes it is. Google magic my friend. Google magic," Jakotsu said placing a hand on his hip and turning towards Sesshomaru. "So when do I get to do it on dirt, on a _real_ bike?"

"Whoa, slow down there turbo. This is just the first step. Maybe a week," Sesshomaru said still laughing about the skiddlydoo dance.

"Aw man," Jakotsu pouted as he handed the bike off to Sesshomaru.

Naraku then went for his first attempt at a back flip. It was a total failure. He didn't have enough speed or height, there for only got half a rotation before landing on his back.

"Damn it!" He yelled, slamming fist into the innocent foam.

"Not everyone can get it the first time," Inu said from his spot between Kagome and Sango.

"Still, I should have," Naraku said as he climbed out of the pit and headed to the top of the ramp once more.

"Look, so we're not here until midnight, everyone can have three attempts today. Then we'll start fresh in the morning," Sesshomaru said as Hakkaku dropped into the ramp.

His first attempt was about the same at Naraku's, although he did manage to achieve the right height. He just lacked enough rotation to complete the full revolution. Ginta helped him from the pit and Sesshomaru handed the bike he was holding to Hiten.

"Might as well get another one of you up there. Don't forget to do a warm up trick."

"Alrighty," Hiten said as he pulled on his helmet and pushed the bike towards the stairs of the ramp.

Naraku attempted a back flip once more and achieved the same results as the one before.

"You need more speed going in," Sesshomaru commented as Naraku walked past him towards the ramp once more.

Naraku simply nodded and continued on his way. Hakkaku went again and achieved almost a full rotation before landing face first into the foam.

"Keep spotting the ground the entire time," Sesshomaru offered.

"Okay," Hakkaku replied as he crawled from the pit.

It was now Hiten's first attempt at the vert that afternoon. He took a deep breath before pushing off and rolling down the ramp. He did a perfect Shaolin. Naraku went down the ramp as soon as Hiten was clear of the foam pit, this time he achieved the right amount of rotation, and landed well. He jumped from the side of the pit smiling as he pulled the bike out and wheeled it to Sesshomaru.

"Better," Sesshomaru said simply. "Here Ginta, you're next."

Hakkaku took his last shot of this session and also performed the back flip perfectly, landing with the bike just slightly vertical.

"Good Hakkaku," Sesshomaru said as he took the bike from him. "Okay Ban here you go."

Bankotsu took the bike from Sesshomaru and headed up the steps to the top of the ramp while Hiten attempted his first back flip. Just like Jakotsu, he managed to get it right the first time.

"Well this is sure speeding up the day," Sesshomaru commented as he took the bike from Hiten and handed it to Miroku.

Ginta dropped into the ramp for the first time and did his warm up trick. Letting his feet come off of the pedals and pulling his hands from the handlebars, performing a double grab on the seat of the bike. Bankotsu rolled into his first trick shortly afterwards, hooking his shoes under the handlebars and arching his back, letting his head fall back towards the seat.

"That was a really nice Cordova," Kagome commented as she walked towards Sesshomaru.

"That's why he's always challenging me for points at the events," Sesshomaru commented as he watched Miroku roll into the ramp.

He had barely any speed and went straight up into the air before he freaked out and let go of the bike completely, flailing his arms around as he fell into the foam.

"Oh yes, so very happy that I didn't miss this," Sango said with a giggle as both Sesshomaru and Kagome helped Miroku from the pit.

"Okay, next time, get some speed-" Sesshomaru started.

"That wasn't fast enough?!" Miroku snapped.

"Not even close," Kagome said sympathetically.

"Holy hell," Miroku commented breathlessly.

"Okay, get back up there and try something simple. Like...a Nac-Nac," Sesshomaru said as he pulled Miroku's bike out of the foam.

As Miroku started towards the stairs, Ginta dropped back down into the ramp to try his luck at the back flip. He got about half a rotation before he landed with a 'whoosh' into the foam chunks.

"You've got to keep looking the whole time," Sesshomaru said when he walked past.

Ginta nodded and stopped to watch Bankotsu go. He too managed to get the back flip right on his first try.

"I swear you three have done this before," Sesshomaru said as he helped Bankotsu from the pit.

"It would seem that way wouldn't?" Bankotsu said with a chuckle.

"You can totally tell who has the natural talent," Kagome whispered to Sesshomaru.

"Alright Miroku, try again," Sesshomaru said turning his attention to the top of the ramp as he nodded in agreement.

"Okay. I can do this," Miroku said to himself.

He dropped down into the pit with more speed than he did the first time. He achieved a good amount of height and pulled off the Nac-Nac with ease. Thankful that all he had to do was pull his right leg over the bike and hold it out before pulling back over to the right side and fall into the pit for a landing.

"I did it," he cheered once he was out of the foam.

"Yep," Kagome agreed smiling. "Now go for that back flip."

"Yeah...the back flip," Miroku said sounding nervous once again.

Ginta went again and managed to get almost a full rotation before landing in the foam. Inu chose this moment to walk over to Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru turned to face his father.

"So where is this guy?" He asked.

"Oh _she's_ been here for a while now."

"She?" Sesshomaru asked confused. Then he turned to Kagome, who smiled sweetly. "No."

"Look, I'll pay for the school if that's the problem-" Inu said before Sesshomaru cut him off.

"That's not the problem. I don't want her doing a back flip."

"Why not?" Inu asked, glaring at Kagome when she opened her mouth to protest.

"Because it isn't safe."

"Ha. Good one," Kagome said, receiving another glare from Inu. "You've taught me countless tricks that I would consider to be unsafe."

"None of them had you inverted," Sesshomaru said coolly as he watched Miroku go down the ramp once more.

He again went straight up into the air before landing in the safety of the foam.

"Okay Miroku. We're going to backtrack with you. Let's go to the pool after lunch alright?" Sesshomaru said with a sigh.

"That's not a good sign huh?" Miroku asked Koga as he helped him from the foam.

"Yeah, not so much."

"Great," Miroku said.

"Can I try?" Sango asked.

"Try what?" Sesshomaru asked her in return.

"Nothing really, I just want to go down the ramp and land in the foam."

"Sure, knock yourself out," Sesshomaru said pointing to the bike that Miroku was still holding.

Miroku took his helmet off and placed it on Sango's head.

"I'm not joking when I say it's harder than it looks," he said as he tied the strap on the helmet.

"You sure proved that," Sango teased with a giggle.

"I'm serious," Miroku warned, looking her in the eye.

"Relax, I'm just going for a little ride. No big deal."

Sango started walking the bicycle over to the steps.

"Can I do something?" Kagome asked and then quickly added. "Not a back flip."

Sesshomaru sighed and turned to his father.

"See what you've started. Go get Inuyasha's helmet, Kagome."

"Really?!" Kagome squealed, jumping past Sesshomaru and towards Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru grabbed her arm.

"Promise me that you won't attempt a back flip."

"I promise," she said sweetly before she turned and continued to make her way towards Inuyasha.

She took his helmet from him, without any protest from him whatsoever Sesshomaru noticed, and pulled it on. She then took the bicycle that Ginta was holding and climbed the stairs. She stopped next to Sango.

"Do you want to go first?" Kagome asked.

"Um, sure."

"Just sort off roll off of the top, but make sure that you have enough speed that you'll actually make it into the pit."

"Easy-peasy," Sango said before she pushed herself from the top of the ramp.

She glided down the ramp and up into the air, she even managed to make the part where she fell into the foam look graceful.

"Woo Sango!" Kagome cheered from the top of the ramp.

Once Miroku and Koga had Sango out of the pit everyone looked up to Kagome expectantly. She took a deep breath before she pushed herself off of the ramp. Once she was in the air, she pulled her feet away from the bike moving them vertical to roughly a nine o'clock position before she did a scissor kick and then landed in the foam.

"Holly shit Sesshomaru. Your chick can do a freakin' Nine O'clock Indian Air?" Bankotsu asked with his mouth agape.

"Yes," Sesshomaru answered.

"And _why_ won't you let her do a back flip?" Jakotsu asked arching an eyebrow at him.

"It's none of your concern and I do not want to hear another word on this subject from _any_ of you," he warned looking to each and every member of the academy. "If I do, you'll be packing your bags and leaving without a refund," he added for good measure.

"Okay, point taken. Don't talk about the cutie pie doing inverted tricks. Got it," Jakotsu said turning to his brother with a slight shrug.

"How about you guys call it a day? Izayoi will fix you all something for a late lunch," Inu suggested.

The guys started filing out of the garage, leaving Kagome and Sesshomaru alone. Kagome sat on the side of the foam pit as she took off Inuyasha's helmet.

"Well?" She asked.

"It was alright," Sesshomaru said with a bored tone and a shrug of his shoulders.

"Alright my butt!" Kagome said throwing the helmet she was holding at him, which he easily caught. "It was perfect. Probably better than any you've ever done." She pouted.

"Don't pout. You're worse than Inuyasha."

Kagome smiled slyly at him.

"So?" She asked.

He sighed.

"It was the most spectacular Nine O'clock Indian Air I've ever seen," he said slowly, mocking her.

"You're lucky I don't have another helmet to throw at you," she said narrowing her eyes at him.

"Ooo. I'm quaking with fear," he teased with a chuckle as he turned around to leave.

Kagome picked up a chunk of the foam and chucked it at the back of his head. It hit him dead on, bouncing off and falling to the floor. He slowly turned around as she pushed herself from the foam pit and ran towards the front of the garage. He smiled as he took off after her, easily catching her.

"That wasn't very nice," he chided once he held her in his arms.

She simply stuck her tongue out at him.

"Neither was that. I'm going to have to punish you," he said smoothly.

"Oh yeah?"

"Mmm hmm. I think having to re-decal my plastics sounds fitting."

Kagome's face lit up. "Stickers?"

Sesshomaru nodded.

"The _whole_ bike?"

He nodded again.

"You know, this is supposed to be your punishment," he pointed out with a chuckle. "You're not supposed to be excited about it."

 **oxoxoxox DIRT xoxoxoxo**

 **Kiss Of Death:** When the rider moves their head towards the front fender, as if to kiss it, whilst bringing their legs upwards from the bike.

 **Rock Solid:** When the rider moves out from the seat, doing a double grab, then letting go of the bike, moving hands away, usually out to the sides of the bike.

 **Hart Attack:** Named after its creator, Carey Hart, the rider puts one hand on the handlebars and the other on the grab hole and extends their body upwards. (okay in this chapter they're on BMX bikes...yeah there aren't any grab holes so that's why I had Koga just hold onto the seat.)

 **Tsunami:** When the rider moves the bike and their body vertical, then curves their legs over, resembling a tsunami.

 **Heel Clicker:** The rider moves their legs above the handlebars and clicks their heels, whilst holding on to the handlebars. This trick is perhaps the most basic trick of FMX (freestyle motocross)

 **Superman:** When the rider moves their feet out parallel to and above the bike.

 **Indian Air:** When the rider performs a 'Superman' but scissor kicks their legs.

 **Double Grab:** When the rider uses both hands to grab the grab holes (or seat) and extends their body upwards.

 **Cordova:** When the rider hooks their boots under the handle bars and arcs their back to the front of the bike, whilst holding onto the handlebars with their hands. The rider may also put hands onto the seat instead of the handlebars.

 **Nac-Nac:** The rider moves their leg over the bike, extending that leg out, whilst keeping the other leg on the foot peg. Invented by supercross legend Jeremy McGrath.

 **9 O'clock Nac:** When the rider moves their body to the 9 o'clock position, extending out wards from the bike. The rider can go up to the 12 o'clock position on occasions.

 **9 O'clock Indian Air:** The rider does a '9 O'clock Nac' then does an 'Indian Air' scissor kicking their legs.

* * *

Re-posted on: October 14th 2016


	5. RANDOM ACTS OF INSANITY

**Chapter 5: RANDOM ACTS OF INSANITY**

"I can do this. I. Can do. This," Miroku chanted to himself as he stood at the back of the diving board.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes while he exhaled, envisioning himself completing a back flip. He opened his eyes and started to take slow purposeful strides towards the opposite end of the diving board. When he only had one stride left to the end, he did a half bounce before jumping out onto the end and bouncing twice. He pushed off the board as it propelled him into the air above the pool. Remembering all the tips that Sesshomaru had given him moments before flew right out the window once he looked down at the water. He managed to get his body to rotate slightly, bringing himself into a horizontal position above the water.

"Crap!" He yelled as he started flailing his arms and legs in an attempt to get into some other position before hitting the water.

It didn't work and he hit the water, landing on his back with an audible 'smack'. Sesshomaru, Koga, and Jakotsu, who were watching, all winced with a collective, sympathetic, 'Oh'. Miroku came up from the depths yelling and coughing.

"OW! God _damn_ it!"

Koga started laughing.

"Miroku maybe you should just accept the fact that you're not made to do a back flip," Koga said as he moved down the side of the pool to where Miroku was climbing out.

"Now it's a personal quest," Miroku said as he stood. "It's moved beyond just learning on a bike now. I _have_ to do this," he went on as he approached the diving board once again.

"Special's right," Sesshomaru said, slightly disturbed at the sound of those words coming from his mouth. "I think it would be better if we just taught you some of the basic tricks instead."

"That's all fine and dandy, but he still should at least learn how to do one," Jakotsu said as he made his way down to the diving board.

"Look, I'll go along with your plan to learn some other things that don't require me to be upside down on a bike, but I still want to learn to do a back flip," Miroku said as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Fine by me, but I'm going inside," Sesshomaru announced as he started towards the deck.

"I'll help you out," Jakotsu offered Miroku with a smile. "Firstly, you should learn a front flip. They're _much_ easier to do off of a diving board."

"Okay." Miroku complied. "What do I need to do?"

"When you jump, roll forward. Just think about tucking into a ball. Sort of like a rollie pollie."

Koga snorted.

"That's your advice? Look like a bug?" Koga asked.

"Yeah, I know _I_ for one can achieve things better and faster if I have a mental picture to refer to."

"Okay. Rollie pollie. I can do this. Rollie pollie," Miroku said to himself as he prepared to attempt his first front flip into the pool.

Once he completed the routine of taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he ran forward and jumped off of the diving board. He rolled forward in the air, tucking his body slightly, going with the rotation. He completed the revolution and landed in the water feet first. When his head was once again above the water, he smiled.

"I did it! I did a friggin' flip!" He cheered happily as he swam for the side of the pool.

"Now you can move onto the back flip," Jakotsu said as Miroku climbed out of the pool.

"Nope. Once accomplishment per day thank you," he said as he left a watery trail of foot prints towards the chase-lounge his towel was on.

 **XoxoxoxoxoxoxDIRToxoxoxoxoxoxO**

The following morning Sesshomaru was again the first one up. He silently threw on a pair of board shorts and a t-shirt before slipping on a pair of socks and shoes. He wondered down to the kitchen, through the living room, and out the front door. He decided that he would walk over to the garage instead of starting up the Kawasaki Mule that sat in front of the house and risk waking everyone up. Once he reached the garage, he walked to where they kept the pit bikes. It had been a while since they had used them and he laughed when he saw what shape they were in.

There was a total of four of them, two with red plastics, one with white, and one with blue. The blue one was missing a handlebar grip on the left side and there was a huge chunk of the rear fender missing, almost three quarters of it. On each side of the fuel tank, written in black sharpie was, 'The Special One'. Where there should have been a number on the number plate, there was a crude drawing of a stick figure doing what looked like it might be a Cordova, but Sesshomaru wasn't sure. There was also a large chunk of the seat missing.

"Geez, Koga's not allowed near this one anymore," Sesshomaru said aloud as he walked over to the work bench and grabbed a roll of duct tape.

He returned to the 'Special One' and proceeded to tape up the hole in the seat. Then he turned his attention to the one with the white plastics. It had been the one he had used in their last racing session and it looked to be in the best condition. That is other than the bent front wheel and the missing front fender. He sighed as he returned to the workbench and grabbed all the necessary tools to change out the wheel. He grabbed an extra wheel that was sitting against the wall of the garage, where they kept all the spare parts for the pit bikes for when they beat the hell out of them; which was basically every time they rode the things. When Sesshomaru pulled the ruined wheel off he noticed the number plate. Unlike Koga's, this one had a number, the number one, which Inuyasha had taken a sharpie and attempted to make it into a zero. At the same time he had also managed to write 'Ice Man' down the back fender on each side, before Sesshomaru had gotten a hold of him. Sesshomaru smirked at the memory of holding his screaming little brother down while Koga drew a mustache on him and then wrote 'I like pretty boys' on his forehead with the same sharpie he had used to deface his bike.

Once the process of changing out the wheel was complete, Sesshomaru moved on to one of the red pit bikes. It wasn't difficult to figure out that this one had been the one that Inuyasha had used. Both fenders were missing, half the number plate was ripped off, it had about ten spokes missing from the rear wheel, and there was a large dent in the exhaust pipe. Sesshomaru shook his head. There wasn't really anything that needed immediate fixing in order to use it today, so he decided that he would move on to the last one, the one that Kagome had used. He smirked at the hearts that she had drawn all over the seat with a sharpie of course. Then she had written 'The Winninator' on the fuel tank on each side. He smiled, remembering how she had beaten Koga three times in a row and then dubbed that bike the 'Winninator'. After that she refused to use any other bike when they raced. Other than the rear fender missing and the fact that she had put neon pink handlebar grips on it, it looked to be in great shape.

 _'I guess I'll go ahead and take them out there.'_ Sesshomaru thought with a sigh.

He returned the tools and duct tape back to the work bench before he grabbed the handlebars on Koga's bike and started pushing in through the garage and outside. Once he reached the foam pit, he kicked down its kickstand, letting the bike lean on it, and walked back towards the garage to retrieve another bike. Inuyasha's was the last one that he brought out and when he set it on its kickstand and went to walk away, the kickstand gave out and the bike fell to the ground with a crash.

"Damn it," Sesshomaru cursed, walking back over to the bike.

He picked it up, noting the now slightly bent handlebars, and wheeled it to the side of the garage where he propped it up there against the wall. He then returned to the foam pit and walked the distance around it to the back of it where he pressed a button that was on the wall of the garage. After a second the large tarp-like cover over the foam pit started to retract towards the end where he was standing. He waited for the cover to be completely off, before he walked back into the garage and grabbed his helmet as well as a piece of paper, a sharpie, and some clear packing tape. He returned to where he left the bikes and set his helmet on the handlebars of his before walking back over to the ramp of the foam pit. He climbed up the slick wooden ramp, thankful that the bottom of his shoes griped at its surface. Once at the top he wrote on the blank sheet of paper before he taped it down to the right hand corner of the ramp, completely covering the paper's surface with the tape. After sliding down the ramp, he returned to the garage and put the sharpie and tape away before, finally, returning to the house.

 **oxoxoxoxoxoxoDIRTxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"We're not going to be practicing back flips today?" Naraku asked.

"Nope," Sesshomaru answered as he stood in front of the group with his arms folded across his chest.

"So...we're just going to goof off all day?" Ginta asked.

"Basically," Sesshomaru answered turning towards Koga before he started to explain his reasoning. "I thought that it would be better to goof off and have you get comfortable with the foam pit and stuff today, then have all of you work on back flips tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me," Hiten said as he pulled his helmet on.

"There are a few things that we need to go over before we start." Sesshomaru said as he walked over to the four waiting pit bikes. "Number one; do not, I repeat, _do not_ go to the right side of the ramp. Trust me, if you do you will end up either splattered on the pavement or somewhere out in the woods."

"What's that piece of paper in the corner of the ramp?" Hakkaku asked, pointing to the paper that Sesshomaru had taped to the ramp earlier that morning.

"It says no right turn," Inuyasha answered smiling.

"It's a reminder," Koga added.

"Um...okay. Do we want to know _why_ you need a reminder?" Bankotsu asked.

"It's because shortly after I had it installed, Special went to the right and ended up falling into that tree over there with the big target spray painted on it," Sesshomaru said smiling as he replayed the scene in his mind.

"It was hilarious!" Inuyasha interjected. "The bike got stuck and we had to use the bucket on the backhoe to get it unstuck."

"Yeah, it was funny. Except when Kagome forced me go to the ER," Koga added.

"You were bleeding from your right ear! You needed to see a doctor," Kagome said rolling her eyes.

Most of the group was now laughing.

"The second thing you have to remember is, you have to wear a helmet at all times," Sesshomaru said, changing the subject back to the rules of the foam pit. "The only other thing that I can think of at the moment is when you're hooking the cable to the bike; make sure you put it around the center of the handlebars. I guess that's it. Who wants to go first?" He asked, eying the group.

"I'll go," Hiten offered.

"Okay you can take the blue one," Sesshomaru said as Hiten stepped forward.

"I guess I'll go ahead and go," Naraku said as he too stepped forward.

"The white one's yours."

"I'd like to go," Ginta said pulling his helmet on.

"Okay you can use the beat to hell red one."

"I'd like to get the embarrassment over and done with," Miroku said with a sigh.

Both Sango and Kagome giggled.

"Alright then, you, obviously, get the last one."

"The girlie one? Aww man," Miroku whined.

"Hey that's my bike! What's wrong with it?" Kagome asked slightly upset that Miroku was bashing her beloved pit bike.

"You mean other than the hot pink grips and the little hearts all over the seat?"

"What's wrong Miroku, not _man_ enough to ride a bike with pink on it?" Jakotsu asked laughing.

"No. I mean yes. Wait, what?" Miroku stuttered.

"I'll go then," Jakotsu said, pulling his helmet on. "I'm not scared to ride the girlie bike."

"That's because you _are_ a girl," Bankotsu said laughing.

"You're lucky that you're my brother," Jakotsu threatened pointing a finger at him.

Jakotsu walked over to the small motorcycle and threw his leg over it so that he was straddling the seat. He kick started it before sitting down and revving it couple of times. He tilted his head to read the side of the fuel tank, laughing as he did so.

"The Winninator?" He asked looking up to Kagome.

She smiled and shrugged.

"I like it," Jakotsu decided with a smile.

The others had also started their bikes and were letting them idol to warm up.

"Now, we can do whatever we want right?" Hiten asked.

Sesshomaru nodded and Hiten picked his feet up off of the pavement and placed them on the pegs of the little bike, his knees sticking up above the handlebars. He then rode back away from the ramp about twenty-five feet and waited for the others to get out of the way. Naraku, Ginta, and Jakotsu soon joined him, while everyone else moved to the right side of the ramp where they could get a good view of their runs.

"We should score them," Kagome commented as she and Sango sat down in lawn chairs that they had drug over from the garage.

"Like a competition?" Bankotsu asked.

"Yeah, I guess," Kagome answered. "Sango and I could be the judges."

"What do we get if we win?" Hakkaku asked with a smirk.

"I don't know. How about...a kiss?" Kagome suggested with a smirk of her own.

"From both of you?" Miroku asked.

"Sure," Kagome answered.

"Where?" Bankotsu asked.

"What do you mean _where_?" Kagome asked confused.

"Like on the cheek? Or on the mouth?" He asked with a devious grin.

"Uh...the lips I guess," Kagome answered unsure.

"Absolutely not," Sesshomaru said coolly.

"Dude, you are _so_ not fun," Miroku whined.

"I'm sure that we can come up with something else," Kagome said attempting to keep the peace. "Here, tell them to wait a second," she ordered as she stood up and ran across to the garage.

Inuyasha walked down to where the four were waiting to go.

"Apparently this has turned into a competition," he informed them once he reached them. "Kagome and Sango are going to score your tricks and the winner will receive some unknown prize. Kagome suggested a kiss, but Sesshomaru's being a lame ass and not going for it."

"That's funny. Hopefully he'll get over it 'cause I'm gonna win and insist a kiss," Hiten said confidently.

"Yeah you do that. We'll see how it goes for you," Inuyasha said laughing.

"Wait, we're being judged now?" Naraku asked.

"Yep, so pull out all the stops," Inuyasha said as he turned to walk back to the other group.

Kagome had returned with a note book and a sharpie.

"Okay," she said breathlessly. "We'll score from one to ten; ten obviously being the best. Then we'll add our two scores together and whoever has the highest score after three goes is the winner," she explained while she wrote everyone's names down.

"Oh wait, are you three going to participate?" She asked referring to Sesshomaru, Koga, and Inuyasha.

"Yeah, I want to," Inuyasha decided, smiling.

"If he's doing it, then I am," Koga said, non-to-gently shoving Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru simply nodded.

"But no back flips," Kagome warned. "It wouldn't be fair to the others."

The three nodded their agreement to her new rule as Hiten yelled, "Hey! Can I go or what?!"

Sesshomaru waved him forward and Hiten took off towards the ramp, easily shifting through the gears to fourth. He hit the ramp and flew into the air above the huge foam pit. He pulled his feet from the pegs and brought them up to hook under the handlebars, looking very awkward because of his height and the size of the bike. He then let go of the handlebars and stretched his body out vertically. He held the 'pose' for a few seconds before he pulled himself back onto the bike and landed in the foam.

"That was cool!" Sango said looking to Kagome. "What was it?"

Kagome laughed.

"It was a Cliff Hanger. What's your score?"

"Okay I probably should have asked this _before_ we started but, other than it looking cool, what am I supposed to be looking for?"

"The form, like how straight his body was. The extension. Blah, blah stuff like that."

"Oh okay. Um...I give it a ten."

"Alright," Kagome said as she scribbled down Sango's score next to Hiten's name in the note book. "I'm also going to give it a ten."

"You two are _way_ to flippin' generous," Bankotsu protested. "That was incredibly sloppy."

"Well _I_ think that it was pretty damn impressive for being on a little pit bike," Kagome retorted. "And no arguing with the judges!" She added with a huff.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha had run down to work the cable and winch. He already had Hiten out of the pit and Hiten was riding his bike down to where the others sat.

"What's my score?" He asked Kagome.

"A twenty," she answered smiling.

"Twenty?! That's it?!" Hiten cried, appalled.

"Twenty out of twenty," Kagome clarified.

"Oh. Well then...awesome," he said smiling as he headed down to where the others were waiting on the bikes.

Naraku went next, once in the air he let his body rise above the bike, pulling one hand off of the handlebars and placed it on the seat. Then he switched hands between the seat and the handlebars.

"That was a Ladder," Kagome said before Sango asked.

"I think I'm going to give it a...six," Sango said.

"I'm going to give it a six too. It wasn't very technical," Kagome said as she scribbled down the scores.

Behind her, Sesshomaru and Bankotsu shared a smirk.

"It's actually more technical then it looks," Hakkaku said.

"Yeah technical wasn't the right word to use," Kagome agreed as she tried to think of a more fitting word. "It wasn't as...impressive as the Cliff Hanger."

Their attention was brought back to the ramp when Ginta started towards it. Once he had the bike in the air, he pulled his right leg over the bike and then let go of the handlebars as he acted like he was running in the air. He barely had time to get back onto the bike before he landed into the foam.

"That was a Side Winder," Kagome said glancing at Sango.

"It's called at Catwalk," Bankotsu said as he folding his arms across his chest.

"It's the same trick," Sesshomaru clarified to a confused looking Sango.

"Um well, whatever it's called, I'll give it a nine," Sango said with a sigh.

"I'm scoring it an eight," Kagome said as Naraku rode past them.

"Doesn't he want to know his score?" Sango asked no one in particular.

"Knowing him he doesn't care," Kagome said.

"Maybe Inuyasha didn't tell him about the kiss," Koga said mostly to himself.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kagome asked, actually turning around in her chair to look at him.

Koga shrugged. "The guy likes you," he said as if it wasn't a secret.

"Since there isn't going to be any kissing...it's not as if it matters," Sesshomaru pointed out, effectively killing the subject.

Ginta rode up to the group.

"What's my score girls?" He asked smiling.

"You got a seventeen," Kagome said as she turned around in her chair once more.

"You better step it up, Hiten got a twenty," Hakkaku warned.

Ginta nodded, looking determined as he rode off to wait for his next run. Jakotsu started towards the ramp, riding up it with the throttle pinned. Once he was air-born he did a Hart Attack but he scissor kicked his legs.

"He friggin' loves that trick," Bankotsu said almost laughing.

"What is it?" Sango asked.

"It's called a Helicopter," Bankotsu answered.

"I'm scoring it with a nine. He had basically flawless form," Kagome said.

"I just like the name. I'll give it a ten," Sango said with a laughed.

"You can't score based on if you like the trick's name or not," Koga admonished, rolling his eyes.

"Do I need to yell at you too for arguing with the judges?" Kagome asked, not looking up from her note book.

Koga laughed. "No ma'am."

"Good," she said with a smirk as Jakotsu rode up.

"So?" He asked smiling.

"Nineteen," Kagome said.

"See Miroku, you should have used the Winninator," He said before laughing and riding off.

Kagome shook her head as she laughed. "He is so classic."

"I believe he would use the word _fantastical_ ," Sesshomaru corrected causing Kagome to snort.

"Yeah, that's his new favorite word," Bankotsu said laughing along with her.

Hiten took off towards the ramp for the second time that morning. He effortlessly went up the ramp and into the air. He kept one hand on the handlebars while he let both his feet come off of the pegs, then he grabbed his boot with his free hand.

"Oxecutioner," Koga said before Kagome had a chance to.

"Ten," Sango said in awe. "Who comes up with these names?"

"Whoever invents them," Sesshomaru explained glancing over Kagome's shoulder to see that she too had scored Hiten's second trick with a ten.

Naraku went as soon as Hiten was attached to the cable and in the air. Naraku pulled his left leg over the seat of the bike and held both his legs out away from the bike, performing a No Footer Can-Can.

"Eh...a six," Sango said, unimpressed.

Kagome sniggered as she wrote down a five for her score and Hiten rode up.

"Well?"

"Twenty," Kagome said still scribbling on the note book.

"That's what I wanted to hear," he cheered before riding off once again.

Ginta then took his second run at the ramp. He performed the same trick that Naraku had, but he let go of the handlebars at the same time, turning it into a Suicide Can.

Both girls looked to each other before smiling and saying, "Ten."

Causing the guys standing behind them to all sigh and roll their eyes. Naraku once again rode right past the group without even a glance as Jakotsu started towards the ramp. He also performed a No Footer Can-Can, but he pulled one of his hands off of the handlebars and pointed his index finger in the air. Everyone, including Sesshomaru, started laughing.

"I haven't seen a Disco Can in...well forever," Sesshomaru said as he caught his breath.

"Dude, that is _so_ getting a ten," Kagome said as she wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye that had escaped while she was laughing uncontrollably.

"Oh jeez, that was classic. I score it a ten too," Sango said taking in a deep breath.

Ginta rolled to a stop in front of them.

"Please tell me I got a twenty," He said.

"Oh Ginta..." Kagome said sounding sort of sympathetic.

"Aw man!" Ginta shouted.

"You scored a twenty. Relax," Hakkaku said shaking his head.

"I did?" He asked.

Kagome nodded and started laughing again as Jakotsu rode up to them.

"Ladies?" He asked.

"That was awesome," Kagome congratulated.

"We gave you a twenty," Sango added.

Jakotsu nodded in satisfaction before he and Ginta rode off. Hiten past them as he went for his third and final run of the morning. He also performed a No Footer Can-Can but then he pulled his legs over to the other side of the bike, turning it into a Pendulum. Kagome scored it a nine, while Sango scored it a ten. Naraku took to the ramp as soon as possible once again, this time performing an Indian Air. Kagome and Sango both scored it a five. Hiten pulled up on his bike and pulled off his helmet as he let the motor die.

"So what's my final score?" He asked looking from Sango to Kagome.

"A fifty-nine," Kagome answered looking down at her note book.

"What?! Which one of you didn't give me a ten on the last trick?"

"Hey, shut up or I'll give you a zero for your last trick."

"She'll do it too," Koga warned, laughing.

Hiten sighed in defeat and stood up, balancing the motorcycle between his legs.

"Who's taking over the Special One here?" He asked looking to the group.

"I guess I'll go ahead and go," Miroku said picking up his helmet from the pavement and pulling it on.

Ginta started towards the ramp, now that Naraku was out of the way, and once he was above the foam pit he put one leg between his hands over the handlebars. Then he pulled his leg to the right side of the bike, pulling his right hand from the handlebars, and bringing his foot back down to the foot peg completing the Saran Wrap.

"That was...basic," Sango commented. "Uh, a five I guess."

"Yeah, that's what I scored it," Kagome said as she scribbled down Ginta's final score.

Naraku coasted up to them and let the bike continue to idol as he took off his helmet.

"Which one of you is next?" He asked.

"Uh, I guess I'll go," Hakkaku said stepping forward.

"Your final score was a thirty-three Naraku," Kagome said turning to watch Jakotsu take his final run at the ramp.

He did a rock solid, which both Kagome and Sango rewarded with a ten. Miroku and Hakkaku were already at the other end of the pavement, waiting to make their first runs. Ginta waited for Jakotsu to be freed from the cable and the two rode down to the group together. Bankotsu wasted no time in getting Ginta's bike and heading down to where Miroku and Hakkaku were. Koga sighed as he took the motorcycle from Jakotsu.

"The Winninator better pull through for me Kags or you owe me," he warned as he pulled his helmet on.

"I apologize in advance if its winningness doesn't work for you," Kagome said with a giggle. "So the scores are as follows, Hiten and Jakotsu are tied with the lead, each having a score of fifty-nine. Then Ginta is in second with a forty-seven and Naraku's in third with a thirty-three."

Hiten and Jakotsu high-fived each other as they moved to stand behind the girls as Miroku attempted his first run.

"Oh I hope he doesn't hurt himself," Sango commented.

"He'll be okay. There's forty-three thousand dollars' worth of foam in there to break his fall," Kagome soothed as she watched Miroku fly into the air.

"Are you serious?! That's how much that thing cost?" Sango asked unbelieving.

"Well, just the foam part. Each chunk costs a dollar."

"Wow," Sango breathed, both because of what Kagome had just told her and because Miroku was actually attempting to do a trick.

He pulled his left leg over the bike, in front of his other leg, for a second before pulling it back over to the other side and landing in the foam.

"Oh my God! He did a trick!" Sango screamed.

"A Can-Can?" Naraku asked.

"I didn't think that he knew any tricks," Ginta said.

"Ban must have told him how to do it or something," Hiten mused looking down the pavement at the said individual.

"One of them _definitely_ told him how to do it," Sesshomaru said.

"I'm sorry, but I have to score that a ten. That must have been so hard for him," Sango babbled.

Kagome laughed as she wrote down the score.

"I'm giving it a seven for effort," she said.

Inuyasha had Miroku out of the foam pit and Hakkaku started towards the ramp. Once he was in the air, he did a Heel Clicker but he pulled one hand off of the handlebars and waved it around over his head.

"I could have bet money that he'd do a Rodeo," Ginta sighed.

"That was cute. I'm scoring it a nine," Sango giggled.

"As will I," Kagome agreed as she wrote down the score for Hakkaku's first trick.

Miroku rode up to the group with a smile plastered on his face.

"Ladies," he greeted seductively. "I hope you have a score for me."

"That we do!" Sango cheered. "You got a seventeen!"

"Wow. Not bad for my first time," Miroku laughed.

"Which one of them told you how to do it?" Hiten asked as he patted him on the shoulder.

"Bankotsu; he's full of ideas that freak the living shit out of me. From the things that he suggested this one seemed least likely that I would die attempting."

"Well go get back in line and show us another one," Sango prodded.

Miroku nodded and started off towards the waiting area as Bankotsu started towards the ramp. He easily pulled his body into the position for a Hart Attack but then bent his knees, bringing his legs over his back resembling a scorpion.

"Ooo pretty form," Kagome said in awe that he could manage a trick like that on such a small motorcycle.

"I don't know _what_ that's called...but I'm scoring it a ten," Sango said also impressed with Bankotsu's flexibility.

Sesshomaru glanced over Kagome's shoulder and 'tisked' when he saw that she had given the trick a ten as well. Moments later Koga made his first run of the late morning, pulling off a very nice Shaolin and earned himself a twenty. Kagome was impressed at how much he had improved with the trick compared to a few days before. Miroku took his second run, throwing his right foot over the handlebars in between his hands. When he went to pull his foot back over, the heel of his boot got caught and he landed into the foam with his foot still over the handlebars.

"Aww that sucks. Sorry Sango, but I have to score it with a three," Kagome apologized.

"I'm sorry too because I have to give it a ten. Maybe he meant for it to be like that," Sango said defending her man.

"I doubt it. He was attempting a Bar Hop and his heel got stuck on the handlebars," Hiten said sounding very much like an announcer.

It took a little longer but Inuyasha finally got Miroku free of the foam pit and Hakkaku could make his second run. He performed a basic Hart Attack and for his efforts he received a score of seventeen. Bankotsu took to the air next, hooking his boots under the handle bars as he arched his back. Everyone laughed when the back of his helmet smacked into the seat of the bike.

"You can tell he wasn't thinking," Hiten laughed.

"He lost concentration," Sesshomaru pointed out.

"We're still scoring it with a twenty," Kagome informed them, to which she received a collective groan from the guys.

It was Koga's turn once again and he managed to pull off a Kiss Of Death then bend his legs at the knees turning it into a Tsunami.

"Let me guess. That one's called A Really Big Wave," Sango said sarcastically.

"Close, it's called a Tsunami," Kagome corrected her.

"Well, technically that _is_ a really big wave," Jakotsu pointed out.

Miroku again took off in the direction of the ramp looking very determined. Once the tires of the bike were free from the ramp he pulled his legs out away from the bike but continued to keep them on either side of the seat. Then he removed his hands from the handlebars for a second before latching onto them once more in a death grip.

"Nothing," Kagome said.

"How can you say that?!" Sango cried. "He's trying Kagome. You have to give him something."

"No, that's the name of the trick," Kagome explained. "I'm giving him a nine for a score."

"Oh...good," Sango said relieved.

"Let me go out on a limb here and assume that you're giving it a ten," Kagome laughed.

"How did you know?" Sango asked sarcastically.

Hakkaku wasted no time in getting up the ramp and into the air easily pulling off a Shaolin that rivaled Koga's. The girls rewarded his effort with a twenty. Bankotsu started for his final run shortly after that, pulling off a spectacular Kiss Of Death.

"That was..." Sango started completely at a loss for words.

"Insane!" Kagome finished for her. "He had the bike and his body in a perfect line."

"Need I remind you that he is on a pit bike?" Sesshomaru asked, clearly unimpressed.

"Yeah well I believe he just earned himself a perfect sixty," Kagome retorted.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes but said no more on the subject. Koga took off towards the ramp like a rocket, but instead of using the one that they had been using all morning, he took off from the steel one. He flew much higher and farther and once he felt stabilized he pulled his body off of the bike and did a back flip. He attempted to grab the seat of the bike, but couldn't make it in time before he landed safely in the foam pit.

"What in the name of Chuck was that?!" Jakotsu asked as shocked as everyone else was, that is except for one.

"That's what he's taken to calling a Body Flip Variel," Kagome announced. "He's been practicing it on the trampoline for a while now."

Sesshomaru wondered just when she would have been watching Koga practice something like that without him knowing.

"That was amazing!" Sango breathed.

"Too bad he couldn't hold onto it," Hiten said.

Sango immediately scored it a ten while Kagome scored it a seven. He didn't fully complete the trick after all. All four of the guys that had been on the bikes rode up to the rest of the group with Inuyasha walking behind them.

"What's the final scores?" Bankotsu asked before the others had a chance to.

"It looks like Ban's leading with a sixty. Hiten and Jakotsu are tied for second with

fifty-nines. Miroku's third with a forty-nine. Then Ginta with a forty-seven, Koga with a forty-five, and Naraku with a thirty-three," Kagome read from her note book. "And with Sess and Inuyasha left to go who knows what will happen."

"I think that you need to get in on this action," Jakotsu suggested looking at Kagome.

"Who? Me?" She asked pointing to herself.

"Sure why not? We all know that you can do these tricks," he said as he stepped closer to her.

"Well who will judge?" She asked.

"I will. I believe that I'm qualified." He smiled.

"Okay I guess."

"Good. Now go get your cute little butt on your bike and show these mens how it's done."

Kagome giggled at his 'cute little butt' comment as she vacated her chair and handed him her note book and sharpie.

"Um, let me just go and grab my helmet," she said as she walked across the pavement towards the garage.

"Wait. Does that mean that if Kagome wins that Sango _has_ to kiss her?" Miroku asked with a perverted smile on his face.

"Always the one with your mind in the gutter aren't you?" Sango asked with a 'tisk'.

"If that's the case I think that we should _let_ Kagome win," Bankotsu suggested with a smirk.

Sesshomaru shook his head. "I thought that we had discussed and put this topic to rest. There will be _no_ kissing," he said with finality.

"Always the party pooper," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Go get on your bike," Sesshomaru demanded turning to face Inuyasha.

Inuyasha complied without a second thought. There was no need to anger his brother further. Kagome returned already wearing her helmet and took her bike from Koga.

"Thanks." She smiled.

"I hope its winningness works out better for you than it did for me," Koga said sounding a little depressed.

"You have to be one with the Winninator for its winningness to work. _You_ were obviously _not_ on the same wave length as she was," Kagome said as she threw a leg over the seat.

"Oh now it's a girl?" Koga asked laughing.

"She was _always_ a girl."

"You never were one to have much luck with the ladies Koga," Inuyasha said laughing.

"Shut up you little twit. I recall _you_ being the one that's always turned down by the trophy girls, not me," Koga retorted with a smile.

Inuyasha glared at him before he started his bike and rode away from the group. Sesshomaru waited for Kagome and the two rode down to where Inuyasha was waiting.

"Are you planning on going?" Kagome asked looking up at Inuyasha.

"Um, yeah," he answered hesitantly.

He revved his bike twice before rolling forward and gradually building up speed as he got closer to the ramp. Once in the air he easily maneuvered into a 9 O'clock Nac, which Sango and Jakotsu scored with a twenty. Koga had taken over the job of working the winch and cable, and had Inuyasha out of the foam pit in no time.

Sesshomaru glanced over at Kagome expectantly.

"What?" She asked smiling.

He simply held his up turned palm out towards the ramp. Kagome shook her head as she laughed.

"No way. I'm in it to win it. You go first," she insisted.

Sesshomaru gave a slight shrug and picked his feet up off of the pavement as he rode towards the ramp. Once he was air born he pulled his left leg up and through the handlebars as he brought his right leg up to the side of his right arm. He turned his body towards the right completing the trick. Instead of pulling his left leg back over the handlebars he did a Saran Wrap. Sango turned to Jakotsu with her mouth a gape.

" _What_ was that?"

"A Stalefish Saran Wrap." Jakotsu chuckled. "I'm going to guess that with a reaction like that you'll be scoring it with a ten."

Sango nodded but remained silent. Kagome soon took to the ramp, passing a cheering judging panel along the way. She pulled her small form into a Cordova quickly and easily. Then she extended her right leg out above the handlebars.

"Oh that was so cute!" Sango cheered.

"She _would_ do a Stripper," Naraku said with a small smirk causing the others to look at him. He shook his head as he explained. "She makes Sesshomaru do one in every competition. I would assume that it's her favorite trick."

"Aw that's even cuter now," Sango cooed. "I'm scoring it a ten."

"Wise decision," Jakotsu laughed as he wrote down a twenty next to Kagome's name.

Inuyasha charged towards the ramp shortly after for his second go. He performed a Helicopter and he received a score of eighteen. As they watched Inuyasha's go, Sesshomaru turned to Kagome.

"That was a nice Stripper," he complimented with a hint of amusement.

"Thanks." She smiled. "I got a twenty for it."

Sesshomaru nodded. "So I heard. I also heard the judges cheering your name."

Kagome laughed. "Worried that you might lose?"

"Not at all," he answered smoothly.

Kagome gave a little huff of annoyance. "Fine then, let's see your next trick mister Big Shot."

Sesshomaru turned his head as he smirked then started towards the ramp once more. Once in the air, he pulled his body from the bike and began to 'run' alongside of it like a Side Winder but he kept one hand on the handlebars turning the trick into a Flinstone. He received a score of twenty once again which caused Kagome to scowl slightly.

 _'Thinks he's so damn good does he? Well I'll show him that I can do even better.'_ She thought as her competitive streak started to show.

She rocketed towards the ramp and preformed a Kiss Of Death. She too received a score of twenty, shouts of approval from the group, and a smirk from Sesshomaru. When they were again waiting next to each other she gave Sesshomaru a smirk of her own. Inuyasha went for the last time pulling off a spectacular Cordova and was rewarded with a perfect twenty, giving him a total score of fifty-eight which landed him in third place. Sesshomaru took to the air for the third and final time of the morning and knowing what kind of affect it would have on Kagome, preformed a Stripper.

 _'Damn him!'_ Kagome silently cursed. A smile spreading across her face at the same time.

Sango and Jakotsu scored it with a twenty which tied him for the lead with Bankotsu. Kagome started towards the ramp determined to score a twenty and also tie for the winning position. She let her body move up and away from the bike as she hooked the toes of her shoes under the handlebars. She stretched her arms above her head before bending down and pulling herself back onto the bike. Once Koga had her out of the foam pit and the winch shut off, he was by her side.

"Holy shit Kags!" He yelled smiling. "You've never done a Cliff Hanger before and it looked perfect!"

"That's the coolest trick ever!" She squealed happily, yanking off her helmet. "I totally can't wait to do that on a two-fifty."

Koga laughed as they made their way towards the others. Inuyasha was the first to run forward and tackle her into a hug, almost knocking her from her bike.

"That was freakin' amazing!" He yelled into her ear. "I didn't know you could do that."

"Neither did I," she confessed.

"Oh my God Kagome!" Sango screamed. "That was...you're so talented! I had no idea!"

Kagome took everyone's congratulations with a smile, then she caught Sesshomaru's expression of what she could only describe as pride. She stood above her bike as she pushed the kick stand down with her foot, then walked as quickly as she could without breaking into a run, into Sesshomaru's arms. She fisted her hands into the front of his shirt as she kissed him fiercely. He was slightly taken aback at just how passionate her kiss was but was soon returning it with just as much force. The whistles and cat calls caught Kagome's ears a few seconds later and she pulled away blushing.

"Sorry," she breathed.

"Maybe you should try new tricks every day," Sesshomaru suggested with a smirk.

She playfully hit him on the shoulder.

"Well Kags, that ties you for first with Ban and Sesshomaru," Jakotsu informed her.

"What do you suggest we do for the tie-breaker?"

 **xoxoxoxoxoxoDIRToxoxoxoxoxox**

Kagome sat astride her pit bike with Bankotsu and Sesshomaru on either side of her on their bikes. They had decided on a two lap, winner take all, pit bike race. So here they sat at the starting line of the small race track that was on the property waiting for Koga to give the 'go' signal. Sesshomaru glanced over to his left at Kagome. She was looking straight ahead staring at Koga. Her right hand was tightly gripped around the throttle and her index and middle finger of her left held in the clutch on the opposite side of the handlebars. She looked incredibly determined and it made him smile.

 _'Maybe I'll go easy on her. Maybe...'_ He thought as he turned his attention back on Koga.

Koga stood ten feet in front of the three holding a pit board in front of him. He held it still for a minute just to tease them before he turned it sideways, signaling thirty seconds before the start. With about ten seconds before the actual start, Koga ran for his life to get out of the way. Kagome and Bankotsu got a slight jump off of the line before Sesshomaru. They came to the first turn and both held their left legs down to help them balance around it. Kagome, having been on the inside, got a small run on Bankotsu coming out of the turn. They were headed into the first section of whoops pinned in fifth gear, when Sesshomaru caught them. Had they been on larger motorcycles, navigating the whoops section would have been simple, but they weren't. Bankotsu lost his balance between two of the small rises, falling over the front of the handlebars and crashed to the ground. The bike flipped over him with the back wheel hitting him in the middle of his back. Kagome saw Bankotsu fall but kept going after a glance over her shoulder to make sure that he was okay. Sesshomaru never looked back and gained a slight lead over Kagome as they headed into the second turn and into the sets of doubles. Well, doubles if you were riding a normal sized motorcycle. Since they were on pit bikes the jumps were taken one at a time with Sesshomaru and Kagome both rising in the air at the same time, one jump apart.

Kagome finally caught Sesshomaru as they came out of the rhythm section for the second time on their last lap. They were side by side as they flew into the last turn with Sesshomaru on the inside. Kagome knew he would get a run on her as they came out of it. Desperate, she pulled her left hand from the handlebars and held it out towards Sesshomaru. When she finally got close enough, with a laugh, she shoved into him. The move knocked them both off balance, but Sesshomaru got the worse end of it as he was taller and already off balance. Sesshomaru went down in a cloud of dust as his bike lost traction in the softer sand. Kagome fought with her bike but remained upright and continued towards the finish line where the others were practically rolling on the ground they were laughing so hard. Once she passed between the two plastic chairs that marked the finish line, she jumped from the bike, letting it fall to the ground as she held her fists in the air in triumph.

"Yes! I won!" She shouted.

Koga grabbed her around the waist and hauled her into the air catching her off guard. She gripped onto his shoulders afraid that she would fall.

"You won because you cheated." Jakotsu laughed.

"I still won," she said sticking her tongue out at him as Koga set her down once more.

Sesshomaru limped towards the group covered in dirt and carrying his helmet.

Kagome turned to swat at Inuyasha for a comment when she caught sight of him.

"Oh no. Are you hurt?" She asked as she pushed away from Naraku, who was attempting to hug her and ran towards Sesshomaru.

"I'm fine. I never thought that I'd see the day that you would turn to cheating in order to win some pathetic contest," he chided with a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Well, _now_ I'm not so sure that I'm all that concerned about your health," she shot back, folding her arms across her chest.

"We both know that's not true." He smirked before capturing her lips in a soft kiss.

"So what are you going to choose for your prize?" Sango asked once the couple's romantic moment was over.

"I knew exactly what I was going to ask for when I won." Kagome smirked as she turned to Sesshomaru once more. "I want you to teach me how to do a back flip."

"I'm not surprised, but seeing as you cheated your way to the win, I'm afraid that you'll have to settle for a kiss," he said as he leaned towards her once more.

She pulled away slightly, placing a hand against his chest.

"Wait. Does that mean that I get a kiss from _both_ of you losers?" She asked looking from Sesshomaru to Bankotsu.

"I could kiss you just for that take down on Sesshomaru on the last turn," Bankotsu commented with a laugh.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at him for a second, but it was long enough to get his point across.

"I thought that there was no kissing allowed?" Bankotsu asked after he cleared his throat.

"True," Kagome said as she tilted her head in thought. "Hmm. Looks like it's a back flip that I'm going to have to stick with."

Sesshomaru sighed before he grinned. It was his 'I'm up to something' grin and it freaked Kagome out a little.

"Alright," he said finally.

"Are you sure you're okay? Did you hit your head? I'm pretty sure that you just agreed to teach me how to do a back flip?" Kagome asked utterly confused.

"No, I am _not_ hurt, my head _is_ fine, and I _did_ agree to teach you."

"Well alright then," Kagome said happily. "Let's get on it."

"Okay. You might want to go change into your swim suit first though," he suggested with that devious grin still on his face.

"Why would I need to change?" She asked.

"I find that it's hard to swim when you're in jeans," Sesshomaru explained as he started to walk away from her.

"Swim?" Kagome asked confused before it 'clicked'. "Damn it, I don't want to learn how to do one into the pool. I want to learn how to do one on a dirt bike."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I assumed that you meant off of the diving board," he said with a soft chuckle.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Yeah that's funny that you would _assume_ that," Kagome said her voice giving away her annoyance.

"It's into the pool or not at all," He said as he once again turned from her.

Kagome hung her head with a sigh of defeat.

"Even when I win I don't win," she mumbled as she turned to pick up her bike and received a sympathetic pat to her shoulder from Koga.

 **oxoxoxoxox** DIRT **xoxoxoxoxo**

 **A/N:** Okay, yeah I know some of these tricks would be pretty freakin' hard to do on a pit bike. Well, these guys (and gal) are pretty freakin' talented so...that solves that problem. And you thought that the last chapter had a million tricks in it...HA! Okay, let's get started. ;D

 **Can-Can:** When a rider lifts their foot over the seat to the other side of the bike then moves it back again.

 **Cliff Hanger** : When a rider hooks their feet under the handlebars and then reaches up vertically.

 **Helicopter:** Hart Attack with an Indian Air.

 **One Handed Seat Grab:** Where the rider puts one hand in the handlebars and the other on the seat, extends legs horizontally, not to be confused with a Hart Attack.

 **Ladder:** The rider changes hands whilst performing a One Handed Seat Grab.

 **Oxecutioner:** One Handed Seat Grab with the other hand grabbing the rider's boot. When the right hand grabs the left boot (or the left hand grabs the right boot) it's called a Cross-Oxecutioner.

 **Scorpion:** Hart Attack with both arms stretched and curved over legs, resembling a scorpion.

 **Side Winder/Catwalk:** Involves the rider dismounting their bike and moving to one side, then running in the air, whilst not holding onto the handlebars. Also known as a Catwalk named after Tommy 'Tom Cat' Clowers.

 **Flinstone:** Variant of a Side Winder/Catwalk. When the rider holds the handlebars with one hand and preforms the trick. Invented by Travis Pastrana.

 **No Footer Can-Can:** When the rider lifts above the bike and moves both feet to one side of the bike over the seat, the body is bent, heels pointing down or backward.

 **Double Can-Can:** When the rider lifts above the bike and moves both feet to one side of the bike over the seat and stretches in a line with his heels pointing up. (something between a 9 o'clock nac and a side grab)

 **Pendulum: A** No Footer Can-Can to one side, then the other.

 **Disco Can:** When the rider takes one hand off of the handlebars and points his index finger in the sky whilst performing a No Footer Can-Can.

 **Suicide Can:** When the rider lets go of the handlebars whilst performing a No Footer Can-Can.

 **Candy Bar:** When a rider moves one leg between the handlebars and back again.

 **Saran Wrap:** When a rider does a Candy Bar but moves the leg out to the side of the bike, letting go of one hand. The reverse of this trick is called a Reverse Saran Wrap.

 **Stripper:** When the rider preforms a Cordova and extends one leg out from the bike.

 **Rodeo:** When the rider preforms a One Handed Heel Clicker whilst moving their other hand in circles above their head.

 **No Hander:** When the rider lets go of the handlebars.

 **No Footer:** When the rider moves their legs outwards from the bike (taking their feet from the foot pegs)

 **Nothing:** The rider preforms a No Hander and a No Footer at the same time.

 **Stalefish:** When the rider sticks one leg between the handlebars and the other leg on the other side of their arm. A variant of this trick is when the rider clicks their heels, called a Stalefish Heel Clicker. A rider may also perform a Saran Wrap while remounting the bike, called a Stalefish Saran Wrap.

 **Carolla:** Where the rider does a Superman and then spins their body around 360 degrees parallel to the bike. First performed by Chuck Corothers.

 **Body Flip Variel (Gregg's Flip Variel):** The rider back flips only their body and then grabs the bike by the seat.

* * *

Re-posted on: October 26th 2016


	6. SHARP WILL, DULL BLADE

**Chapter 6: Sharp Will, Dull Blade**

"Today we're going to be working on back flips into the foam pit. And since we'll be at the Red Bull Challenge tomorrow, we'll put off progressing onto dirt until the following day," Sesshomaru explained as he sat astride his pit bike.

"This is all on pit bikes right?" Hakkaku asked from his position sitting on the asphalt next to Sesshomaru.

"Right," Sesshomaru confirmed with a nod.

Miroku held up his hand as a child in grade school would. Sesshomaru glanced at him and waited.

"Um, what about those of us that _aren't..._ ready to progress to dirt?" He asked.

"I'm not sure what exactly to do with you yet. Not to worry though, I'll come up with something," Sesshomaru answered knowing that Miroku would most likely be the only one not ready to attempt back flips onto dirt by the end of the day.

"Just out of curiosity..." Bankotsu started. "What's the arrangement going to be for tomorrow?"

"Arrangement?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Yeah, are we going to drive down there with you? Can we throw our bikes in your toy hauler?"

"So basically you want to know if you can mooch off of me some more."

"I wouldn't call it mooching," Bankotsu said with a slight laugh. "It just seems like a better plan since we're all going to the same place."

"I suppose," Sesshomaru gave in with a sigh. He was not looking forward to riding in a crowded truck or trailer. "Back to what's going on today..."

"Will Kagome be going?" Ginta interrupted.

Sesshomaru glared at him causing Ginta to shift uncomfortably.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"I...it's just...I was just wondering," Ginta stammered.

"Kags is always at the events," Inuyasha said smiling. "Dad too actually."

"Inu's going?" Hiten asked.

Inuyasha nodded.

"Is there anything else that we need to discuss _before_ we get started?" Sesshomaru asked agitated.

"Nope, I think that covers everything for the moment," Hiten answered.

"Good. We'll use the same rotation as yesterday. Four will start out on the pit bikes with three attempts each. Then they'll switch with the remaining three and they will have their goes. Jakotsu, Hiten, Ban, and Hakkaku you'll be the first four."

The four mentioned nodded and stood, pulling on their helmets as they each grabbed their desired bike. After a minute of letting the bikes idol to warm up, they rode to the staging area they had used the day before. Bankotsu went first and although he hit the ramp going rather quickly, it wasn't enough to get the right amount of distance or height to complete the full rotation of the back flip. Inuyasha was stuck working the winch and cable once again and had Bankotsu and bike out of the pit within three minutes.

"Apparently we need to go over the speed for distance thing again," Sesshomaru said discontented with the fact that Bankotsu hadn't remembered that on his own.

 _'Maybe Miroku won't be the only one not ready for dirt.'_ He thought with a sigh as he walked along side Bankotsu towards the rest of the group.

"Do any of you remember what the three things are that you have to remember when attempting a back flip?" He asked as he stopped in front of Hiten and Jakotsu.

Hakkaku and Ginta looked to each other, mentally willing one another to give them the answer. Hiten looked around at the others, waiting for one of them to speak up, while Naraku stood holding his helmet completely uninterested. Jakotsu looked to Sesshomaru's right at his brother who obviously didn't have a clue. Then he looked to his own right at Miroku who looked like he could care less about the topic. Jakotsu sighed heavily before he spoke up.

"Inu told us this the day before yesterday. Speed, height, and distance. Those are the three things."

"Right," Sesshomaru confirmed when the others looked from Jakotsu to him. "Why is he the only one that remembers that? It's not that difficult. Granted, the pit bikes are heavier than a BMX bike, so you are going to have to go even faster, higher, and farther to achieve the full rotation and land without breaking your neck."

"But we're just going into the foam pit right?" Miroku asked nervously.

"Yes, but if you can't manage to make what _would_ be a good landing in there," Sesshomaru said pointing behind him towards the foam pit. "You'll never make one on dirt."

Bankotsu turned his bike around.

"Okay thanks for the recap," he said as he slowly let the clutch out and began to roll forward.

Not hearing any sounds of protest, he started building speed towards the ramp. This time he performed a back flip flawlessly. He returned to the group moments later with a grin hidden by his helmet.

"Eh it's easy," he commented when he noticed Miroku, Ginta, and Hakkaku staring at him.

"Don't get too cocky," Sesshomaru warned. "Next."

Hiten pushed his bike forward and prepared himself for his first attempt at a back flip on a pit bike. He achieved it as easily as he had two days before on the bicycle. Jakotsu managed the same with Hakkaku achieving a complete back flip on his second try. Naraku, Ginta, and Miroku took to the pit bikes after their three goes were over. Naraku went first and failed to complete a rotation but achieved a full one on his second go. Ginta finally completed a back flip on his third try. While Miroku failed to do anything other than fly through the air and then land in the foam. Sesshomaru slowly massaged his temples as Miroku made his way towards him.

"So...that was um..." Miroku trailed off trying to think of the right word.

"Unsuccessful?" Jakotsu offered.

"That would be one way to describe it I suppose," Sesshomaru sighed.

"Hey I have a question for you," Bankotsu said as he took of his helmet.

"What now?" Sesshomaru asked.

"What's the deal with you not allowing Kagome to do a back flip?"

"It's none of your business," Sesshomaru answered coolly.

"I'm just curious. I mean the chick can ride, so why not?"

"It's because of Mori," Inuyasha said as he approached the group, careful to stay a good distance from his brother.

"Mori Hino?" Jakotsu asked.

Inuyasha nodded and waited for Sesshomaru to tell the story. After a few seconds it was obvious that he wasn't going to so Inuyasha started it instead.

"Mori was the first to attempt a back flip in competition. This was back when people were first attempting them and before we had the foam pits. He had never managed to land one on anything other than a BMX, but when it came down to Sess and him in the finals at the X-Games he attempted one in the middle of his run," Inuyasha paused, glancing at Sesshomaru who showed no emotion. With a sigh he continued. "He attempted it from dirt to dirt, back then we didn't totally know about the whole three thing rule. Anyway, he crashed. Hard. The paramedics could never bring him around and he died on the way to the hospital from severe internal injuries."

The group was silent. All of them knew that Mori and Sesshomaru had been close friends and they all knew parts of the story of what had happened at the games that year, but none of them could have guessed that this would be the reason that he didn't allow Kagome to learn a back flip. Jakotsu was the first to speak up.

"It's a good reason," he said with sympathy.

"Yeah, but knowing what we know now it's not as dangerous," Bankotsu countered.

"You say that now when you're simply falling into a box of foam. We'll see how you feel when you come crashing to the ground from twenty feet or more," Sesshomaru said icily before he turned from the group and headed towards the garage.

"Good going," Hiten said as he punched Bankotsu in the arm. "Now he's all pissed off."

"He'll get over it," Inuyasha said. "Hopefully."

"So...I guess we're done here for the day?" Miroku asked hopeful.

"Looks that way," Naraku said as he stepped off of the bike he was sitting on and started pushing it towards the garage.

The others soon followed.

"It was a completely legitimate question," Bankotsu defended himself to the group. "How was I supposed to know that he'd get all bent out of shape because of it."

"He's very protective of Kagome," Inuyasha said.

"Really? I hadn't noticed," Bankotsu drawled sarcastically.

"You should watch your comments," Jakotsu offered. "It isn't wise to piss off the person that could help make or break your carrier."

Hiten looked at his watch.

"It's only noon. What are we going to do for the _rest_ of the day?" He asked.

"There's always stuff to do around here," Inuyasha answered with a grin.

 **XOXOXOXOXOXOX** **DIRT** **OXOXOXOXOXOXO**

"In the blue corner we have the one they call Special...the bringer of pain...Koga!" Inuyasha yelled in his best impersonation of a sports announcer.

The small group clapped and yelled as Koga bounced from one foot to the other holding his boxing glove-clad hands above his head. Inuyasha started laughing as he turned to face Koga's would-be opponent.

"And in the red corner we have the one they call Mercenary Merce...the harbinger of evil...Bankotsu!"

Again everyone clapped and yelled as Bankotsu hopped up and down in place, smirking. Both he and Koga were shirtless and barefoot, wearing only board shorts and boxing gloves. Inuyasha motioned for the two of them to step forward and they closed the distance between him and themselves.

"Now I want a good clean fight. Nothing below the belt," Inuyasha warned. "The first one to the ground loses. Falling to your knees is your safety." He looked to Koga then Bankotsu and nodded, smiling like the Cheshire Cat. "At my mark the match begins."

"Whooo! Beat him like a rented mule Ban!" Jakotsu yelled causing everyone to laugh.

"Koga's never lost to a challenger," Kagome pointed out to the group.

"So you have this back yard boxing often then?" Ginta asked.

"Not really. Other than Inu no one will fight him anymore. After he knocked Inuyasha out the last time Izayoi prohibited him from ever going up against him again. And Sesshomaru would never go against him to begin with."

"Alright...fight!" Inuyasha yelled.

Koga and Bankotsu somewhat bounced around one another in a circle, waiting for the other to make the first move. Bankotsu ended up coming at Koga first with a right hook. Koga easily dodged it and came back at him with a left hook. Bankotsu was off balance from his hit not landing and he fell forward slightly, Koga's hit landing with a solid smack on his bare shoulder. Both Sango and Kagome cringed while the guys only yelled their encouragement louder.

"Come on, get a hit in Ban!" Hiten yelled.

Bankotsu fell towards the ground but caught himself and managed to evade Koga's next swing.

"Don't go down like a five dollar hooker!" Jakotsu yelled which managed to distract Koga for an instant.

But that instant was all that Bankotsu needed to get a solid hit on him. His right hand connected with the left side of Koga's face. Any ordinary person would have been on the ground right about then, but Koga didn't even move. He blinked several times while Bankotsu watched in muted awe. Then before he had time to react to the movement, Koga had punched him in the face. Bankotsu stumbled backwards clutching his right eye with one gloved hand while trying to keep Koga at bay with the other.

"To your knees!" Miroku yelled.

"Get down on your knees!" Kagome was practically screaming.

It finally registered to Bankotsu and he dropped to his knees ending the fight. Inuyasha jumped in between the two before grabbing Koga's right hand and raising it into the air.

"Winner!" Inuyasha yelled.

Bankotsu slowly rose to his feet as Kagome and Jakotsu got to him.

"Are you okay?" Jakotsu asked trying to hide the fact that he was laughing.

"I'm fine," Bankotsu said angrily, still clutching his eye.

"Let me see," Kagome said softly as she pulled at his hand.

Bankotsu complied and moved his hand away from his face, dropping it to his side.

"Oh," Kagome hissed. "It's already turning purple."

She gently touched the puffy skin just above his cheek and he recoiled away from her with a hiss of pain.

"Okay. Alright, come over here," she said as she grabbed his hand and pulled him behind her towards the chair she had been sitting in.

She turned Bankotsu around and pushed him backwards into the chair then kneeled down next to him and pulled the lid off of the ice chest that was there. She pulled an ice pack out and then reached up and placed her hand to his forehead, pushing his head back. She placed the ice pack gently over his now dark purple eye.

"It's a good thing I think ahead," she mused aloud as she removed his boxing gloves. "Leave that ice on there for a while. It will help with the swelling," she directed.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

She smiled as she stood and handed the gloves to Inuyasha.

"Okay, who's next?" He asked looking around the group.

"I'll go," Hiten said stepping forward.

Inuyasha handed him the gloves and helped him put them on. Then the two of them walked back out onto the lawn where Koga was waiting.

"Okay, again in the blue corner is Special. And in the red corner is the Hit Man...the one with lightning quick reflexes...Hiten!"

Everyone cheered and a new round began. It lasted all of ten seconds before Koga landed a solid hit to Hiten. He caught him under his chin with an upper-cut sending Hiten falling backwards towards the ground unconscious. Again Inuyasha ran in between the two and Kagome rushed to Hiten's side. She lightly slapped the side of his face to bring him around and after the fifth slap his eyes fluttered open. Kagome smiled.

"Don't move okay?"

"Uh...sure." He glanced over Kagome's shoulder to see Inuyasha holding Koga's hand up in the air once again in victory. "I lost."

Kagome nodded.

"Aw man."

"At least you're not going to have a black eye," she said with a giggle. "How do you feel?"

"Alright."

"Okay then, sit up slowly."

Hiten did as directed and with Kagome's help made it to his feet, still wobbling slightly. Miroku and Hakkaku helped carry him over to one of the lawn chairs and set him in it.

"Well this is going well," Miroku commented.

"It was your guy's stupid idea," Sango said as she shook her head.

"It sounded like fun," Hiten said with an attempt at shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, bashing each other's brains in... Tons of fun," Sango said sarcastically.

"Where's Inu? I thought that he was going to partake in this feat of strength," Jakotsu asked as he handed Hiten an ice pack.

Kagome looked at him for a second before she started to laugh.

"Partake in this feat of strength?" She asked.

He simply nodded.

"I'm sure he'll be out here. He normally never passes up a chance to get into the ring with Koga," Kagome said as she returned to helping Hiten.

"Hey, here he is now," Bankotsu said watching Inu approach them upside down, as his head was still reclined over the back of the chair he was in.

"What's the score?" Inu asked once he was closer.

"Two Koga, zip for the challengers," Inuyasha answered.

"Are you sure you're ready for this old man?" Koga asked mockingly.

"You little whelp." Inu laughed as he pulled his shirt over his head. "I could whip you with an arm behind my back _and_ my eyes closed."

"I wouldn't want to have such an overwhelming advantage," Koga shot back as Inuyasha helped Inu pull on his boxing gloves.

"Save your trash talk for someone you might actually have a chance against," Inu instructed calmly.

Inuyasha finally finished lacing up Inu's gloves and moved closer to Koga.

"Okay same rules as always. Nothing below the belt, to your knees is the safety, blah, blah. Ready?" He asked as he stepped away to a safer distance. "Fight!"

Koga, being over confident, made the first move coming at Inu with a swing that never had a prayer of landing. Inu casually side stepped Koga and landed a punch to the middle of his back. Koga turned and swung in one swift movement catching Inu on the right shoulder with a punch. Inu smirked as he came back at Koga with an uppercut. His glove connected with Koga's face just below his jaw, sending him reeling backwards. Koga stumbled but quickly recovered and came back at Inu with an uppercut of his own. Inu stumbled slightly and went down to one knee. Koga made the mistake of stepping closer and Inu landed a solid hit to Koga's side, effectively knocking the wind out of him and causing him to double over. Inu landed three more punches before Koga finally went down; one to the stomach, and two to the face. Inu slowly rose up to a standing position and smirked down at Koga who was now sporting a split lip.

"Still think you can take me whelp?"

"Eh...you had an advantage. This was your first fight of the day. It was my third," Koga complained as he pushed himself up.

"Well whenever you want a rematch, I'll be waiting." Inu laughed.

Kagome ran to Koga's side with an ice pack in hand. She pressed it to his lip with a 'tisk'.

"Are you ever going to learn?" She asked.

"Does it snow in July?" He retorted sarcastically.

She sighed and grabbed his arm, pulling him to his feet.

"Get into the house and get a wet wash cloth to put on that," she instructed with a gentle shove to his back.

"I thought you said that Koga never loses?" Ginta asked when Kagome walked up to the group.

"He doesn't to anyone except Inu," she answered with a smile. "You didn't ask about him."

* * *

Re-posted on: November 11th, 2016


	7. SUPERCHUNK

**Chapter 7: SUPERCHUNK**

"Move over damn it!" Inuyasha grumbled as he elbowed Koga in the ribs.

"Ow you stupid prick! Watch it!" Koga yelled back.

"No need to be all uncivil about it," Jakotsu said on Inuyasha's other side, pressed as close to the window as possible.

"Who's stupid idea was this anyway? Let's all ride in one truck! Sounds like a blast," Hiten added in his two cents from in between Naraku and Inu.

"Would you all just shut up?!" Inu yelled from his position behind the steering wheel of the truck.

 _'Count to ten. Don't kill them all. Breathe. Don't shred them limb from limb.'_ He mentally chanted as his grip tightened on the defenseless steering wheel.

"How did we end up riding in the truck when the others are all in the trailer?" Naraku asked no one in particular.

"Beats the hell out of me," Inuyasha said with a huff.

"If you whelps don't stop your constant bitching right now, I swear, I'll pull this damn truck over _right now_ and strap you all down to the roof of the toy hauler."

The cab of the truck went silent instantly and Inu let out a sigh of relief.

 _'I'm going to wring Sesshomaru's neck when we get_ there.' He thought with devious grin.

 **XOXOXOXOXOXOX** DIRT **OXOXOXOXOXOXO**

"Do you have any..." Kagome carefully looked over her cards then up at Sango's face, hoping she would give her a hint at what to ask for. No help came. "Jacks?" She finally decided on.

"Nope," Sango answered with a grin.

With a sigh Miroku pulled a jack from the cards he was holding and handed it over to Kagome.

"Here," he mumbled.

"Thank you," Kagome said happily. "Ginta?"

"Nope, sorry," he answered. "Go fish."

"Well at least I got another one," Kagome said as she pulled two cards from the stack that stood in the center of the small table.

"My turn," Sango chirped. "Do any of you have any fives?"

"How the hell do you do that?" Miroku asked as he pulled two fives out of his small stack and handed them to her. "I swear that you're reading my mind."

Sango took the cards from him with a wink and added them to the two that she already had, placing them face down in her matches pile.

"What am I thinking now?" He asked her with a lecherous grin.

"That I'm probably going to be hitting you upside the head any second," she answered looking over her cards.

"Wow!" Miroku said in fake astonishment. "You really _can_ read minds."

The others laughed before continuing their game. Bankotsu, Hakkaku, and Sesshomaru sat on the couch across from the table watching the game.

"How long is this trip?" Bankotsu asked.

"Two and a half hours," Sesshomaru answered turning to look at him. "You're not bored already are you?" He asked with a smirk.

"I wouldn't go that far...yet," Bankotsu said with a sigh.

"You could always switch with one of the others up front," Miroku suggested with a laugh.

"Yeah right; I would rather walk there."

"You have your bike," Hakkaku offered.

"Now there's an idea," Kagome said as she handed Ginta the queen he had asked for seconds before.

"Speaking of bikes," Sesshomaru interrupted. "Did you tape my trick list on mine yet?"

"No," Kagome answered. "But I did make it. It's on the counter under the paper plates."

Sesshomaru pushed himself off of the couch and carefully walked to the counter, pushing the paper plates to the side, he picked up an eight inch by six inch piece of poster board that held what tricks he would be preforming.

"This is for the third round right?" He asked as he scanned over the list.

"Yep," Kagome answered, her mind still on the task at hand, collecting sevens from Sango.

"Again with the Stripper?" Sesshomaru asked looking up from the list as he walked back towards the couch.

Kagome nodded.

"Can't I do a different trick?" He asked, not caring that the others were watching him basically beg.

"Sure," Kagome answered as she turned to look at him. "You could do a Back Flip Stripper."

"The correct way to name the trick would be a Stripper Back Flip," Ginta broke into the conversation.

Sesshomaru gave him a cold look before turning his attention back to Kagome.

"If you don't like the trick lists that I give you, you could make them yourself," Kagome offered without a hint of anger in her voice. "I just think that you preform that trick really well. You always score big with it _and_ it's my favorite trick."

Sesshomaru gave in with a sigh.

"Alright for you, I will perform a Stripper in the third round. If it doesn't score well though, I'm holding you solely responsible."

"If that will make you happy," Kagome answered with a smirk.

 **XOXOXOXOXOXOX** DIRT **OXOXOXOXOXOXO**

After barely surviving the rest of the drive and unloading all of the gear and bikes, the guys went to check in. Their starting spots were drawn randomly with Hiten going first, Naraku going third, Jakotsu fourth, Sesshomaru seventh, and Bankotsu ninth out of the nine competitors. After finding this out they returned to the truck and trailer where the others were waiting for them. The girls had pulled out several folding chairs and a card table, on which Kagome had placed a whole array of snacks. Inu had set up the flat screen TV so that they could watch whatever they wanted to in between rounds. Miroku had been given the task of stocking the ice chest with plenty of water and Gatorade. Ginta and Hakkaku were told to set up the awning for shade, while Koga and Inuyasha went about the task of making sure that Sesshomaru's bikes were ready to go. Sesshomaru always took two bikes with him, just in case one should get busted up to the point that it could no longer run.

Sesshomaru went to Koga and Inuyasha to make sure that they hadn't done something stupid to his bikes and finding nothing amiss, plopped down in one of the chairs under the awning next to Kagome.

"Hey," She greeted him with a smile. "Where did you draw?"

"Seventh," He answered watching her shuffle through a collection of DVD's.

"Oh that's good. You'll get to see what everyone else is going to pull before you go out."

"Half of the field has been at my house for the last few days. I already know what they're going to pull."

Kagome frowned at him momentarily before returning to her search for the movie she wanted.

"Who else is here?" Inu asked as he put the finishing touches on hooking up the DVD player.

"Takuma, Kain, Aido, and Kaname." Sesshomaru answered.

"Hmm," Came Inu's reply.

"Ah, finally," Kagome sighed. "For a second I thought that you might have taken it out." She triumphantly held up the movie she had searched for.

Inuyasha took notice as he joined the group and groaned.

"That movie should be burned," he commented as he grabbed a water out of the ice chest.

"Come on...it's hilarious." Kagome said laughing.

"What movie is it?" Sango asked as Kagome squatted down to put the disk in the player.

" _Blades of Glory_ ," Inuyasha answered his voice dripping with distaste.

"I love that movie!" Jakotsu squealed.

Kagome jumped up excitedly.

"Really?!" She asked turning towards him as he pulled up a chair.

"Yes it has to be one of my all-time faves."

"You _would_ find guys skating around in spandex cool," Inuyasha said sarcastically.

"Well, you know how I wagon wheel," Jakotsu said before focusing on the massive screen.

"Don't forget you have a competition to focus on," Bankotsu warned.

"I may have to scratch from it," Jakotsu joked.

"Oh no. Don't do that! I'll pause it when you guys are going. None of us will be here anyway," Kagome offered.

"I'm kidding," he reassured her. "I've seen this movie a million times."

"Thirty minutes until round one," Came a voice of the ground's PA system.

"No more goofing off. Get ready," Inu prodded.

They moaned and groaned, but did as told and gave their bikes a once over before changing into their gear.

 **XOXOXOXOXOXOX** DIRT **OXOXOXOXOXOXO**

With the first two rounds going as everyone had pretty much expected, they went into the third with Sesshomaru sitting atop the leader board. Bankotsu was second, Hiten fourth, Naraku sixth, and Jakotsu seventh. The field was inverted for the third round with Takuma, who was currently placed ninth, going first. He started his round with a simple Can-Can then moved into a Double Grab, taking his hands off of the handlebars to hold onto the two grab holes at the back of the seat and extended his body upwards. His third jump consisted of a Heel Clicker and Sesshomaru and the group stopped watching at that point.

"And in ninth he shall remain," Jakotsu predicted with a smirk.

The others nodded in agreement.

"I heard Aido and Takuma saying that they were going to attempt back flips this round," Hiten said as he leaned forward on his bike, folding his arms over the handlebars.

"That would be unwise," Sesshomaru said uninterested.

"They're stupid enough to try," Koga said. "I doubt they've ever even tried one before."

"Knowing those two idiots, probably not," Inuyasha added.

They watched as Takuma preformed a Nothing.

"He's running out of time of he's planning on doing one," Kagome said as she watched the clock.

Takuma started for one of the larger steel ramps.

"That dumb ass is going to try," Kagome said panicky, grabbing onto Sesshomaru's arm.

Sure enough once his rear tire left the ramp he pulled the bike around in a back flip. He over-rotated and as he started to fall to the ground realized that he wasn't going to land well. He attempted to push the bike away from himself, but didn't have enough time and hit the dirt still half sitting on the seat. He was thrown from the bike with the first bounce, landing halfway down the dirt ramp and rolling down to the base.

"Oh my God!" Kagome and Sango screamed in unison.

"Whoa," Hiten said calmly.

"Can you tell if he's moving?" Miroku asked Sesshomaru.

"No..." He answered noticing how tight Kagome's grip had become on his arm. "I'm sure he's okay," he said softly and her grasp loosened slightly.

The grounds crew rushed out to Takuma's side but by the time that they got there he was already sitting up.

"The dumb ass got what he deserved," Inuyasha said harshly.

Inu hit him across the back of the head a second later and for once, Inuyasha knew better than to open his mouth in protest. The grounds crew had Takuma and his bike off of the course quickly and the announcer called for Aido to start his run. A few minutes later Aido came tearing onto the course heading to one of the dirt ramps and preformed a simple Whip. He then headed to the steel ramp that was placed next in line and executed a respectable Superman.

"Those two can only do basic tricks, what made them think they could do a back flip?" Ginta asked.

"When you watch Sesshomaru pull them off week in and week out they seem simple," Miroku answered, but not fully convinced that was the reason behind Takuma attempting one.

"Naw, they know in order to have a shot against him they _have_ to do back flips too," Koga corrected.

"Let's say that they did pull one off," Hiten began. "They would still need better tricks then what they're doing."

"Oh no!" Kagome gasped and again clutched Sesshomaru's arm.

Aido had also gone down attempting a back flip.

"Doesn't he have a brain?" Bankotsu asked slightly amused that after watching his best friend go down Aido would still go for a back flip.

"In the middle of his run too." Inu 'tisked'.

"He had a higher score then Takuma. Even when he went down, he still had him beat," Sesshomaru said keeping his eyes on the course below.

Aido was also not seriously hurt and it was now Jakotsu's turn. He pulled on his helmet and kick started his bike.

"Don't do anything stupid," Bankotsu warned.

"Me? Never," Jakotsu laughed in return.

Bankotsu roughly tapped the top of his helmet three times and Jakotsu rode off towards the course. His run was basically a nine jump montage of all the tricks he had performed in the few days before. He started out with a Cordova; then a Disco Can came next. Followed by a Saran Wrap, a Kiss Of Death, a Stripper, a Helicopter, a Cliff Hanger, and a Lazy Boy. He finished his near perfect round with a Scorpion and was the first to bump up his score, moving from seventh to fifth.

He returned to the group shortly after Naraku had left to take his final run. He performed the exact same trick list that he had for the second round, playing it safe. He started with a One Handed Seat Grab, then a Coffin. After these two he stuck to hitting only the steel ramps and preformed a Helicopter, a Pendulum, a Saran Wrap, a Tsunami, an Indian Air, a Whip, and finally a Cordova. His score remained the same and he stayed in seventh place.

Kain was the next rider to take to the course and by the end of his round Kagome was laughing hysterically.

"What is it?" Sango asked wondering just what had set her off.

"I'm the only one who noticed?" She asked looking around the group. No one said anything and after a small coughing fit she continued. "All his tricks started with s."

"Did they?" Jakotsu asked trying to think back over Kain's run.

Kagome nodded and started listing off the tricks as she counted them on her fingers.

"Sidewinder, Scorpion, Superman, Stripper, Shaolin, Stalefish, Suicide Can, Switch Blade, and Side Grab."

"And you found this _that_ funny?" Miroku asked.

"Maybe you've been out in the sun too long," Sesshomaru mused giving her a fanged smirk.

"Oh shut up. I thought it was creative."

"Apparently not creative enough 'cause he's staying in sixth place," Jakotsu said.

Hiten's name was called by the announcer and after tightening the strap on his helmet, he took off in the direction of the course. The first ramp he decided on was the largest dirt one and he performed an incredible 9 O'clock Indian Air. His next jump was a Suicide Can, followed by a Tsunami, and then a Hart Attack. For his fifth jump he did an Oxecutioner, then a Cordova, a Shaolin, and a Stalefish for his eighth trick. His last trick was a Cliff Hanger which he added a small variant to, instead of holding his arms out, he clapped his hands together.

"What was that?" Miroku asked.

"No idea. It looked like a Cliff Hanger," Bankotsu answered.

"It was a Cliff Hanger Hand Clapper," Jakotsu laughed.

"Wow, he just invented a new trick," Ginta said.

"I wonder if he did it intentionally," Kagome speculated.

Hiten returned to the group after receiving his score which moved him into third. They watched Kaname's run, which was impressive to say the least. His best trick by far was his last which was a Stalefish. Bankotsu was up next and wasted no time in finishing his run. He had gone out there with the idea of completing nine tricks, but he had gone through the course so quickly that he could add another trick.

His first trick was a Helicopter and his second was a Dead Body. He pulled his legs up from the pegs and put them through the handlebars before he lay back on the bike. His third trick was a Sidewinder which when he landed it, instead of pulling his right leg back over the seat he kept it on the left side and landed sitting sidesaddle. His next tricks consisted of a Suicide Can, a Shaolin, a Rodeo, a Superman Seat Grab, a 9 O'clock Nac, and a Rock Solid. When it came time for his tenth trick he took off from one of the steel ramps and pulled his bike into a whip and instead of landing on the dirt ramp that he should have, he shifted his weight and pulled the bike so that he would land on another one to the left of the original one.

His score bumped him into first place. He returned to the group ecstatic even though he knew his lead would be short lived. There was only one person left to go and he would no doubt be taking over the leader board.

"So it's down to you," Bankotsu said as Sesshomaru prepared to leave to make his third round run. "How about you lay off those back flips just this once?"

Sesshomaru laughed.

"Do you see all of those people sitting in the stands?" He asked and Bankotsu nodded. "They came here today for one reason and that was to watch me perform a back flip."

"A little full of ourselves aren't we?" Bankotsu scoffed, even though he knew it was probably the truth.

Sesshomaru shrugged. "I'm just giving the people what they want."

Kagome gripped his wrist after Bankotsu pushed his bike out of the way.

"Be careful please," she pleaded.

"Aren't I always?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"No, you are not. You're reckless, fearless, and sometimes an idiot. But you're mine and I want you to come back to me in one piece."

"Nothing could stop me from doing so."

"Yeah except two broken legs again," she pointed out with a smile before she reached up to place a hand on each side of his helmet.

She pulled his head towards her and kissed his visor.

"For luck," she said.

"Not that I need any of course," Sesshomaru laughed and Kagome swatted at his helmet.

"Remember, I want you back here in one piece," she said forcefully.

"One piece," he repeated and with that he let the clutch out on his bike and started towards the course.

He played to the crowd and rode to the top of one of the dirt ramps and held his left arm up while with his right hand he cranked the throttle. The crowed went nuts, screaming and yelling.

"He's a cocky S.O.B," Bankotsu grumbled.

"His time's started already. What's he doing?" Sango asked concerned.

"He knows what he's doing," Kagome said with a smile.

Sesshomaru then rode down the ramp he was perched on and headed towards one of the steel ramps. Once in the air he performed a Cliff Hanger. He pulled his body back onto the bike and then let go of the handlebars again, landing without holding onto them at all.

"He really pisses me off," Naraku seethed.

"Why? Because he's more talented than you?" Kagome asked.

Naraku shook his head, but didn't provoke her further. Sesshomaru headed towards the largest steel ramp and Kagome gripped onto Inu's arm.

"Nervous?" He asked with a soft smile.

"I don't think that I'll ever get over it," she answered as Sesshomaru pulled his bike around into a Shaolin Back Flip.

He landed cleanly and then started towards the next ramp.

"If they make you so nervous, why do you want to do one?" Sango asked.

"Because I want to prove that I can," Kagome answered as Sesshomaru performed a Hart Attack.

"And you can't sympathize with why Sesshomaru doesn't want you to do one?" Jakotsu asked softly.

"I can...but he should understand like I do. I let _him_ try whatever he wants."

"That sure is a sexy thought of you trying to stop him," Koga said with a silly grin on his face.

Kagome shook her head at him as Sesshomaru did an incredible Rock Solid, holding it for several seconds longer than any of the other competitors had that day. He then performed a Superman Seat Grab Indian Air.

"You did a fantastic job on his trick list," Jakotsu complemented Kagome.

"Thank you. This next one is the best."

"Let me guess..." Inuyasha trailed off as Sesshomaru did a Stripper. "Yeah, I could have bet a million bucks."

"Shut up, you," Kagome scolded before she kicked him in the calf.

"Hey!" Inuyasha protested.

"Shut up Inuyasha," Inu scolded.

Kagome smirked at Inuyasha. He rolled his eyes before turning back to watch Sesshomaru who was preforming a Carolla.

"Wow he makes those look easy," Hakkaku commented.

"He makes everything look easy," Hiten corrected him.

Sesshomaru again headed towards the largest steel ramp and Kagome again latched onto Inu's arm. He gently patted it as they watched Sesshomaru preform a Back Flip Heel Clicker. After landing it he wasted no time in getting to another ramp and preforming a Kiss Of Death. With only seconds to spare, he hit his last ramp and pulled his legs up to the handlebars. Keeping his legs under them he then lay back on the bike and folded his arms behind his head.

"Cute touch to the Lazy Boy," Jakotsu said looking over at Kagome.

"Yeah it was my idea," she said with a grin.

Sesshomaru pulled his bike into a wheelie and rode between the hay bales that were the markers for the start/finish line. He returned to the group and took off his helmet just in time to hear his score announced and that he was the winner.

Kagome all but jumped on the bike with him and hugged him tightly before kissing him with just as much force.

"Congratulations," she whispered.

"Thank you. I have to of course thank whoever it was that made my trick list," he said smiling. "Now if I could only remember who it was."

Kagome playfully hit him on the arm.

"Jerk." She laughed.

 **XOXOXOXOXOXOXDIRTOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

 **A/N:** If you follow freestyle moto-x at _all_ you may have heard of this guy Travis Pastrana. I _looooooove_ him! I've been following his carrier since he did Supercross and started FMX. (and on into all the other crazy things he does...like rally car) Therefor, Sesshomaru's character parallels him in many, many ways. :) Most of the tricks that Sesshomaru's inventing (has invented) are ones that Travis did. Travis actually runs a program where he teaches people how to do back flips too! Sound like someone else we know? Anyway...if you don't know who Travis is it won't wreck anything in this fic for you in the least.

 **Lazy Boy:** When the rider moves their body flat on the bike, moves their legs horizontally under the handlebars, and their arms back as if they were in a Lazy-Boy chair. It was invented by Travis Pastrana. A variant of this trick is when the rider puts their hands on their helmet, commonly done by Travis.

 **Whip:** When the rider moves their bike perpendicular to the ramp. That style of whip is called a 'turn down', whilst other styles move the bike flat.

 **Dead Body:** When the rider sticks their feet through the handlebars, then flattens out their back as if they were dead on the ground. A variant is when the rider spreads their legs apart; it's called a 'Dead Body Shaolin'.

 **Transfer:** By displacing body weight over the bike and using gyro movement of the wheels the rider makes the bike fly on a curve trajectory, thereby transferring the bike to another landing spot.

 **Superman Seat Grab:** When the rider does a 'Superman' but uses one hand to hold onto the seat or grab holes instead of the handlebars. A variant is when the rider scissor kicks their legs it's called a 'Superman Seat Grab Indian Air'.

 **Coffin:** Similar to the Lazy Boy except the rider doesn't extend their hands out, but still leans back, making their legs horizontal under the handlebars as if they were in a coffin.

 **No Hander Lander:** Landing from a jump without holding onto the handlebars.

 **Sidesaddle Lander:** Landing from a jump with both legs on one side of the bike.

 **Switchblade:** Almost a bar hop, but both legs are positioned on the left or right side, but not over the bar.

 **Side Grab:** When the rider is stretched in a line and positioned perpendicular to the bike holding onto the bike by the seat with both hands.

* * *

Re-posted on: November 11th, 2016


	8. THERE WILL BE BLOOD

**Chapter 8: There Will Be Blood**

"Ugh. It's like a million degrees out here," Bankotsu complained.

"I vote that we put off practice until later tonight," Hiten said as he drug his feet across the pavement.

It was ten in the morning and the group was on their way to the garage where they were supposed to meet Sesshomaru.

"This is miserable," Miroku commented looking up at the unmerciful sun.

"What do you think our chances are of convincing Sess to postpone riding today?" Hakkaku asked Inuyasha.

"It depends on his mood. The fact that he won yesterday gives us an advantage," Inuyasha answered.

The group walked through the open garage door and found a shirtless Sesshomaru and Koga pulling out several rolls of thick black plastic.

"Hey guys!" Koga greeted as he continued to pull out another roll of plastic.

"Hey. Uh...what are you doing?" Bankotsu asked.

"There's a change of plans this morning," Sesshomaru said as he began loading the rolls into the back of the Kawasaki Mule. "We're not going to work on back flips until later this afternoon."

"Oh thank God," Ginta breathed.

"It's so freakin' hot out there," Miroku added.

"I noticed," Sesshomaru continued. "There's been something that I've wanted to try for a while and I thought that today is as good as any other to try it."

He and Koga finished loading the plastic and both jumped into the Mule.

"Go change into board shorts and meet me behind my house," Sesshomaru directed.

The others stared at him wondering what he was up to.

"Oh if you happen to see Kagome, tell her to come out too and have her bring some vegetable oil."

"Okay now I'm scared. Plastic and vegetable oil? What are you up to?" Jakotsu asked.

"You'll find out soon enough," Sesshomaru answered with a smirk.

He began to drive out of the garage and the others followed on foot, headed back to the guest house to change.

 **XOXOXOXOXOXOX** DIRT **OXOXOXOXOXOXO**

"That is the sickest thing I've ever seen!" Hiten yelled excitedly.

"It's a humongous slip n' slide," Ginta said in awe.

Starting at the top of the good sized hill behind Sesshomaru's house, he had laid dozens of yards of black plastic down. It cut through the trees and around large boulders, finally ending close to the lawn at the bottom. He had set up a fire hose to continually run water down it and fill the hole he and Koga had dug out with the backhoe. They had lined it with plastic also, making it into a huge catch pool. Basically it was a huge, black, suicidal slip n' slide.

"This cannot be safe," Hakkaku muttered.

"That's what's makes it awesome!" Inuyasha yelled excitedly as he began climbing up the hill to where Sesshomaru and Koga were.

"Did you tell Kagome?" Sesshomaru asked once Inuyasha had reached the top.

"Yeah, she should be out here in a minute," he answered, his focus on the treacherous slide below him.

"How did you come up with this?" Miroku asked as he joined them.

"It was hot. I originally was just going to suggest swimming, but then I saw all of this plastic sitting in the garage and thought this would be wicked."

"I can't wait to try it," Jakotsu said, also joining the group.

Kagome and Sango stepped out of the house and stood rooted to the spot. They were both dressed in their swim suits as Miroku had instructed them to do and Kagome was holding the bottle of vegetable old she had been told to bring.

"So that's what he was doing on the backhoe this morning," Kagome said mostly to herself.

"I was wondering what the big hole was for," Sango added.

The two then moved forward, down the steps of the porch, around the pool, and across the lawn, stopping next to the makeshift pool at the bottom of the hill. Sesshomaru noticed them and waved, not missing the excited look on Kagome's face.

"Are you two coming up?" Koga yelled down to them.

"Is this what I think it is?" Kagome yelled back.

"That depends on what you think it is," he shouted.

"Well...it looks like a messed up slip n' slide," she answered.

"Did you bring the vegetable oil?" Sesshomaru asked. Kagome held up the bottle. "Good. Chuck it up here."

"I can't throw it that far," she huffed. "How about you come down here and get it."

Sesshomaru nodded with a sigh then began to walk down the hill side.

"Thank you," he said before placing a soft kiss to her cheek.

"You're welcome. Um, I'll be right back," she turned to leave, but Sesshomaru grabbed her arm.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"To grab board shorts and a tank top. I'm not going down that thing in this." She motioned to her barely there bikini. "Lord knows what body parts I'd be involuntarily showing off."

Sesshomaru nodded with a grin and Kagome trekked back towards the house with Sango close behind. Sesshomaru made his way back up the hill with Hiten, Ginta, Naraku, Hakkaku, and Bankotsu following him.

"So what's the oil for?" Ginta asked.

"It's so we'll actually slide down this thing," Sesshomaru answered as he poured the entire bottle on top of the plastic where they would be starting.

"Who's first?" Koga asked.

"I'll go," Sesshomaru answered as he tossed the empty bottle aside.

With one graceful leap, he jumped up into the air and landed on his butt on the slick plastic. He rocketed down the hill side hitting several small humps that would send him flying through the air. He went into one of two turns that he and Koga had made before shooting out of it hitting a mound particularly hard and sailing through the air and landing with a splash into the catch pool.

"That was freakin' awesome!" Inuyasha cried and pushed past Koga so that he would be next.

Sesshomaru drug himself out of the pit, which proved to be difficult because the sides were so slick. Once he was out he turned around to look up at the others. Kagome and Sango returned and walked up to his side.

"Aww, did you go already?" Kagome whined.

"Yes," he answered with a huge smile. "You're going to love it. Although, you might end up getting bruised a bit."

He lifted his arm because it suddenly stung and Kagome gasped at the huge abrasion down it that had begun to bleed.

"Huh? I didn't even feel that," he commented.

Inuyasha started down the hill with a yell. He to made it down the hill in record speed landing in the catch pool on his back with a sickening 'smack'.

"Oh. Jeez," Kagome hissed. "You should call this thing a slip n' bleed."

"Good one," Sango giggled. "Are you still going to do it?"

"Of course," Kagome answered at once. "Come on." She grabbed Sesshomaru's arm and began to climb the hill.

Sango remained at the bottom, having _no_ intention of going down that warped creation. She grabbed onto Inuyasha's hand and helped him out of the plastic pool.

"How's your back?" She asked.

"Huh? Oh fine. You have _got_ to try this," he said excitedly before running back up to the top.

Koga was next and while he was going down the hill he built up so much speed that he overshot the landing pool and landed on the grass with a thud before sliding several feet. He pushed himself off of the ground laughing the whole time as he limped back up the hill for another round. Despite it being a horrible idea, Ginta and Naraku went down right after one another and managed to escape with only smacking into each other three times. Hiten went next and showing an even less brilliant idea, went down head first. He landed in the catch pool but didn't emerge for several seconds, causing everyone to worry for a moment before his head popped above the surface with him laughing. Sango attempted to help him out, but ended up being pulled in, causing Hiten to laugh even harder. The two finally managed to get out and Bankotsu charged down the hill. After he was clear of the water Kagome insisted that it was her turn.

"Try to stay in the middle," Sesshomaru instructed.

"Don't flail your arms around or you might end up with a broken one," Koga added.

"Jeez anything else?" She asked.

"I think that about covers it," Koga answered with a smirk.

"Okay, in the middle; don't flail." Kagome jumped out above the plastic and hit it with a smack which caused her to cry out in pain.

She flew down the hill, though not at the speed of the guys. She flew off of the last mound and twisted in the air landing on her stomach. She came out of the water laughing so hard that she was crying. Sango helped her out of the pool and checked her over to make sure that she was alright. Other than her stomach being bright red she didn't look to worse for wear.

"It is so much fun! You have to try," Kagome begged once she caught her breath from laughing.

"No that's okay," Sango said shaking her head. "Plus after watching you go there is _no_ way I'm going down in just my bikini."

"Oh here you can totally use my shorts and top," Kagome offered, pealing the wet tank top over her head.

She threw it at Sango who caught it as Kagome untied her board shorts and slipped out of them.

"I don't know..." Sango started.

"Ow! Take it off!" Koga yelled from above them.

Kagome shot him a glare before turning back to Sango.

"Trust me, you'll totally have fun," Kagome promised as she held her shorts out to her.

Reluctantly Sango pulled on the shorts and tank top then walked up to the top with Kagome.

Hakkaku had gone already and was waiting down at the bottom to help Sango out of the catch pool. Sango looked down the hill at all the bumps that were most likely rocks or tree stumps and took a deep breath.

"This is probably the stupidest thing that I've ever done," She whispered to herself.

"Not so," Koga said with a chuckle. "Dating that perv _has_ to be the stupidest thing."

"Hey!" Miroku said without any real anger.

Sango laughed and took another deep breath before she jumped out onto the plastic and slid down the hill, screaming the entire time. Hakkaku helped her out of the water at the bottom and Sango sank down onto the lawn, flopping onto her back.

"Never again," she gasped. "I'm going to have bruises all over."

"It was fun huh?" Kagome yelled from up top next to Miroku who was getting ready to go.

"No! You big fat liar!" Sango yelled back.

"Oh whatever!" Kagome hissed back jokingly.

Miroku jumped out onto the slide and started to slide to the right more than staying in the center of the plastic. Once he was going there would be no stopping him and instead of sliding through the banking of the first turn he went up and over it. Sailing into the air above the unforgiving rocky terrain until he finally lost altitude and smacked into a pine tree.

"Oh my God!" Kagome screamed causing Sango to look up. She expected to see Miroku somewhere on the slide, but not seeing him she sat up.

"What is it? Where's-" Sango finally spotted the heap of a broken body that was Miroku. "Oh my God!" She screamed, echoing Kagome's reaction seconds before.

She pushed herself up off of the ground and ran to his side as the others ran down the hill to him. He was lying on his back, teeth clenched shut, taking in deep, hissing breaths. Sango fell to her knees next to him and she placed a hand gently on his bare chest.

"Are you okay?" She asked hesitantly, obviously he wasn't.

"No," He hissed closing his eyes. "My...leg," he managed to gasp out.

"Oh...shit," Koga said; which summed it up pretty well.

Miroku's leg had an obvious compound fracture about half way between his ankle and knee. Sango gasped.

"It's...that bad huh?" Miroku choked out.

Sango on the verge of tears shook her head. Kagome moved around and gripped her shoulders, pulling her up from the ground.

"Let the guys help him up so we can get him to the hospital okay?" She asked soothingly.

Sango nodded, turning in Kagome's arms and broke down completely, crying hysterically.

"It's okay," Kagome tried to reassure her. "It's just a broken leg."

Kagome had been through this millions of times with Sesshomaru. Not to mention Koga and Inuyasha, sometimes even Inu. Thankfully they were all youkai, or at least half and could basically heal on their own. Miroku, unfortunately, was not and would need surgery with months of recuperation. The guys rallied around Miroku and carefully picked him up. Even with as gentle as they were being, he still yelled out in pain.

"Sorry buddy, but we've got to get you down the hill and into a truck," Koga apologized as he gripped Miroku's shoulders.

It was slow going, but they finally reached the bottom of the hill and across the lawn. They set Miroku down on a chase lounge next to the pool while Sesshomaru ran to get his keys. Kagome took Sango inside so that they could change and grab t-shirts for Miroku and Sesshomaru. When they came back outside the guys had just finished loading Miroku into the back seat of Sesshomaru's truck. Sango climbed in the back with him and he rested his head in her lap. Kagome rode up front with Sesshomaru and they took off to the hospital, which was a good twenty-five minutes away.

Once they were gone Inuyasha went to his parent's house to tell them what had happened and that they were all planning on going to the hospital. Inu quickly shot that idea down claiming that they would only be in the way and to wait until Sesshomaru or Kagome called with news. So everyone returned to the guest house to change into dry clothes and wait.

Four long hours later, the phone call from Kagome finally came. She had called Koga's cell and relayed all the information that she knew which he passed along to the rest of the group.

"She said that he had surgery and that he's out now and awake. They had to put in five pins I guess. They're going to keep him for a few days to keep an eye on him then he'll be released. I guess Kagome and Sess are on their way back, but Sango stayed."

The others nodded as Inu stepped through the doorway.

"Any news?" He asked.

Koga nodded.

"Kags just called. They're on their way back. Miroku had surgery and has to stay for a few days."

Inu nodded knowingly.

"So just what were you all thinking when you built that death trap?" He asked after a moment of comfortable silence.

"Miroku's the only one that had any problems getting down it," Inuyasha pointed out.

"Yeah and that's why you're all bruised up? I swear you're like having two year olds again. Not a lick of common sense between any of you," Inu huffed as he turned back through the open doorway, closing the door behind him

He would never admit to them that before he shut off the water to that monstrosity they called a slip n' slide and come over there, he had gone down it. Four times. Just to test it out of course, before changing to come over and rip into them.

 **XOXOXOXOXOXOX** DIRT **OXOXOXOXOXOXO**

"Okay so today I thought that we would move onto dirt," Sesshomaru said as he stood before the group.

"Finally," Hiten breathed. "We're finally getting somewhere now that Miroku's not holding us back."

"Thanks. I feel _so_ loved," Miroku grumbled from the chair he sat in.

"Sure thing," Hiten joked.

"You'll be riding today pit bikes today. I'm hoping that you'll all get this down so that next week we can move onto the eighties," Sesshomaru continued. "So as the norm, pick a bike and let's get on with it."

Bankotsu, Naraku, Hakkaku, and Ginta all grabbed bikes and kick started them, pulling on their helmets while they waited for the bikes to warm up. Jakotsu and Hiten stood next to Miroku, while Koga and Sesshomaru stood near the dirt ramp that they would be using for their take offs. Inuyasha was standing on the other side so that he could get everyone's jumps on tape so that they could review them later. Bankotsu deemed himself the first to go and starting several feet away, sped towards the ramp. Sesshomaru decided to stay silent and let them all take a hit once or twice so that they might learn a little faster. Bankotsu did as he had three days before; he didn't have enough speed and only managed half of a rotation. He landed in a cloud of dust at the base of the ramp on the opposite side of where he started. He landed flat on his back with the bike momentarily hitting him before it fell to the right.

Koga ran to his side just as Bankotsu sat up coughing for breath.

"Damn it! That fuckin' hurts!" He choked out.

Koga laughed and smacked him on the back.

"Do you remember anything _at all_ from before?" He asked.

"I do now," Bankotsu groaned as he pushed himself off of the ground.

He didn't bother to dust himself off and picked the bike up, moving it out of the way so that Naraku could go. He didn't even get close to a rotation and threw the bike away, landing awkwardly on his feet before falling to his knees at the base of the ramp.

"Next," Sesshomaru said quickly, sticking to his idea to let them beat themselves up.

Hakkaku was next and he too took a header into the soft dirt. Ginta followed the same pattern and after three runs each, none of them had managed to pull off a back flip.

"Let's let the other two try," Koga said, bummed that no one had gotten it.

 _'It didn't take_ me _this long to learn it.'_ He thought as the others switched bikes with Jakotsu and Hiten.

Jakotsu was the closest of the day to landing one, but still under rotated and landed with his front wheel first, sending him over the handlebars and landing on his shoulders and back before rolling over into a sitting position.

"At least you made the crash look good," Inuyasha laughed.

"What can I say, I was simply born awesome," Jakotsu replied happily as he dusted himself off and picked up his bike.

Hiten went next and took a really bad fall, landing on his neck. He bounced right back up and tried again, but after four more attempts he had decided that he'd had enough.

"This is hard," He whined. "Can't we go back to the foam pit?"

"No," Sesshomaru answered simply. "If you can't figure this out on the pit bikes how the hell do you expect to do it on a two-fifty?"

"Well aren't you going to give us some advice oh master of the back flip," Hiten shot back. "You haven't said anything this whole time."

"I was trying to let you all use your brains. Apparently there isn't one between any of you. The only one of you that showed even a _hint_ of completing a full rotation today is Jak. It's pathetic."

"It's not easy," Ginta mumbled.

"Believe me, I know. I've been trying to get that through your thick skulls for over a week now," Sesshomaru said growing angrier.

"Can we please just go over to the foam pit for a minute?" Hiten begged.

"No," Sesshomaru said folding his arms across his chest. "You wanted to get to dirt so damn fast, so let's see you do a back flip. It's _easy_ , remember?" He taunted.

Hiten sighed and dramatically threw his head back.

"But I've hit the ground more times today than in the last six months. I'm sore!"

"I'm not here to listen to you complain. You wanted to do this so shut the hell up and do it already," Sesshomaru ordered forcefully.

"Fine God damn it!" Hiten yelled as he kick started his bike and took off towards the ramp once more.

He hit the ramp with the throttle pinned and pulled the bike into a complete rotation and even managed to land it. He rode over next to Bankotsu and jumped off the bike, letting it fall to the ground on its side.

"There damn it! Now get the fuck off my back!" He yelled as he ripped at the strap of his helmet, yanked it off his head and threw it to the ground.

"Okay," Sesshomaru said calmly, trying not to laugh. "Now I know all I have to do is piss you off and you'll manage some progress."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Hiten cried throwing his arms up. "All you _did_ was piss me off. It had nothing to do with me doing a back flip-" He paused and looked at the others who were attempting to hide the fact that they were laughing. "I...did a back flip. On dirt! No effin' way!" He finished excitedly.

"So now that _one_ of you has done it, I'll help you out," Sesshomaru said stepping closer to the group. "You all need more speed and you all need to stop over thinking it. It should be one smooth movement start to finish."

With Sesshomaru's somewhat encouraging words Bankotsu, Jakotsu, Naraku, and Hakkaku took to the ramp once more. Jakotsu was the first to go and pulled off a back flip with a slightly wobbly landing. He attempted it once more and got it perfected, so he called it a day and handed the bike over to Ginta. As Bankotsu went for his fourth run of the afternoon, Jakotsu walked over to Miroku and plopped down on the ground next to him. Bankotsu crashed once more and cursed loudly as he stood up and grabbed his bike.

"Aren't you thankful that you broke your leg?" Jakotsu asked.

"Right now...yeah. Although, I probably would have broken it today anyway," Miroku joked.

"Or your neck," Jakotsu added with a grin.

"That too," Miroku agreed.

After watching Naraku take a fall Jakotsu asked, "So how's Sango?"

"She's fine," Miroku answered as he turned to look over his shoulder. "I totally would have broken my leg months ago if I knew it was going to get me this much action," he said with a devious smirk as he unconsciously touched the cast that went to his knee.

"That's...slightly more information then I needed, but good for you," Jakotsu congratulated with a shake of his head.

Hakkaku went next and also crashed as he had all afternoon before Ginta went and achieved the flip part, but didn't land very well and crashed into the berm that was on the left side of the dirt ramp.

"So what's your infatuation with Inuyasha?" Miroku asked with a quirked eyebrow.

After a deep breath Jakotsu responded.

"He's sort of a bad boy. Well, at least he thinks he is. For whatever reason I've always been drawn to that sort of characteristic, but it's mostly because of those ears. They're perfection. Absolute fuzzy, white, perfection. I just want to pin him to the ground and rub them," he continued with a lust-filled look.

"Ooookay. That was more information then I needed but...good for you," Miroku repeated Jakotsu's earlier statement.

Jakotsu chuckled before cheering for Bankotsu when he finally landed a back flip.

"Good job Ban!" He cheered.

Bankotsu gave a cocky grin and parked the bike on the other side of Miroku.

"Eh...once you stop thinking it's easy," he commented.

"So why weren't you able to land it the first time?" Jakotsu teased.

"Dude! You effin' suck," Hiten roared from next to Sesshomaru.

Naraku had, once again, not completed a backflip and landed face first into the dirt.

"I think...that's enough for today. We'll pick this back up tomorrow morning," Sesshomaru said as he turned from the ramp.

"What?! You're not going to make them stay out here until they get it?" Hiten asked.

"No. I think their bodies have taken enough punishment for one day," Sesshomaru answered without bothering to turn around.

Everyone watched as he jumped into the Kawasaki Mule that was sitting nearby and drove off.

"Hey you ass hole!" Inuyasha yelled. "Get back here!"

Sesshomaru pretended to not hear him and continued on his way.

"Looks like we're walking," Koga commented.

"To hell with that!" Inuyasha scoffed. "I'm riding one of the pit bikes."

* * *

Re-posted on: November 11th, 2016


	9. SO UNLUCKY WE ARE

**Chapter 9: SO UNLUCKY WE ARE**

"I...mph...have to...pack," Sesshomaru mumbled between Kagome's intense kisses.

"Uh huh. I just want five minutes," was her reply.

"Five minutes?!" He said appalled as he pushed her away slightly.

"For what I'm planning-" she started.

"What are you planning?" He asked with a devious smirk.

"It takes all the fun out of it if I tell you," she answered with a growing smirk of her own.

She quickly removed his t-shirt and starting at his collar bone, kissed her way down to his stomach. Sesshomaru looked down at her as she went down to her knees in front of him. Their eyes caught for a fraction of a second and he groaned involuntarily, knowing what was coming. Kagome gazed at his hardness, obvious through his pants and made the unconscious movement of licking her lips. She carefully, teasingly, undid the button then the zipper of his pants and tugged them down his thighs. She slowly ran her hands back up his now exposed legs until she came to the waistband of his boxers. With one swift movement she pulled them down as well and Sesshomaru let out a small hiss as the cool air hit him. Her tongue rushed out to taste, but she took her time and moved her tongue slowly up and down his cock. His hands twisted through her hair, being mindful of his claws. She resisted the slight pressure of him forcing her forward until she saw how shaky his breathing had become.

She smiled and glanced upward, never stopping her teasing. Moving suddenly, she opened her mouth slightly only taking the head of Sesshomaru's cock into her mouth. Her hand wrapped around the uncovered part and she fell into a slow rhythm with her strokes. Sesshomaru threw his head back with a gasp, his hips arching towards her after her unexpected movement. She placed her free hand on the back of his thigh, to steady herself, her head bobbing up and down as she continued her assault on him. Sesshomaru closed his eyes taking in short raspy breaths as the hot, wet heat of her mouth took him in further. Her hand was always moving, pulling additional gasps from him.

"Oh…God…Ka…Kagom…" He breathed as she wrapped her tongue around him as best as she could while continuing to moving up and down on him.

"… _more_ …." His voice was shaky as he urged her to continue.

Her teeth accidentally pulled across his sensitive skin and Sesshomaru let out a mumbled curse of both pleasure and pain. Kagome noticed but quickly dismissed it as she continued to concentrate on pulling as many cries as she could from him. Sesshomaru swayed on his feet, and he pulled one hand from her hair and slammed it against the wall to steady himself. At that same moment Kagome arched forward and took as much of him as she could, humming at the same time. Her hand gripped the back of his thigh as she began to move faster on him. She pulled away to take in a quick gasp before returning to her hurried pace. Sesshomaru was quickly losing control, his hand holding her close as she again deep throated him.

He was well beyond using words and with a cry of passion, Sesshomaru reached his peak, emptying into her waiting mouth. He panted as he fell back against the wall, his eyes half closed. When he opened them he smirked as Kagome wiped her chin with a finger before she sucked the digit into her mouth.

"Shit Kagome," he whispered hoarsely, his chest heaving as he attempted to catch his breath.

"Are you sure that you have to go away?" Kagome asked, already knowing his answer.

"Yes," he answered before reaching out and pulling her into his arms. "I have to do these personal appearances. It's part of my contracts."

"Two days?" She asked, running her finger tips across his bare chest.

"Three at the most if there's a delay. You can help dad and Inuyasha with the back flip academy," he offered.

"And just how am I supposed to help?"

"You can do the videotaping."

"Whoopde-freakin'-doo," she said bitterly.

"Come on. I'll make it up to you when I get back."

She looked up at him smiling. "Will you teach me how to do a back flip?"

Sesshomaru sighed. "No. Maybe we can go out to the lake for a few days."

"Can I drive the boat?"

Sesshomaru laughed. " _That_ , you can do."

 **XOXOXOXOXOXOX** DIRT **OXOXOXOXOXOXO**

"Are you ready yet?!" Inuyasha yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yes, hold your damn horses!" Kagome yelled back from her bedroom.

She soon emerged from the room carrying a back pack and a pillow.

"Did you get the blankets and stuff?" She asked as she made her way down the stairs.

"Yes," Inuyasha sighed. "And all the other crap you insisted that we need to take."

"Yeah, like food and such. How dare I," she said shoving into him. "Who all is going?"

"You, me, and Koga for sure. I think Bankotsu, Hiten, and Naraku."

"Ooo, not that creeper," Kagome said with an involuntary shiver.

"Afraid so."

"Your boyfriend's not going?" Kagome asked sweetly.

"That is _so_ not funny. Seriously Kagome," Inuyasha said in a serious tone.

"I'm kidding. Jeez, can't even take a joke can you? Ginta and Hakkaku aren't going?" She asked as they made their way out of the house.

"Nope. Apparently all three of them don't do the whole sleeping in the back of a truck thing."

"Pussies," Kagome said with a 'tisk'. "I wish Sango and Miroku would change their minds."

"Miroku's all pissy since he broke his leg," Inuyasha said as they hopped into the golf cart.

"So I've noticed," Kagome said, remembering his grumpy attitude when they had suggested they go on this little field trip. "They could still go though."

Inuyasha shrugged as he started driving towards the garage. Once there, they found the others that were going on their overnight trip, loading the bikes and gear into the back of the two trucks. Koga was tying their bikes into the bed of his truck while Bankotsu was helping Naraku load their bikes into the bed of Naraku's truck.

"It's about time you showed up," Koga playfully scolded. "I was about ready to leave your ass here."

"You and I both know that's not true," Kagome said throwing her back pack up to him. "Who would make you your sandwiches tonight?"

"You kids be safe," Inu said as he carried two fuel tanks towards the truck.

"Aren't we always?" Inuyasha asked.

"Kagome maybe," Inu said under his breath. "All I ask is that I don't have to pay for any more air lifts. If you go down, get to the hospital some other way alright?"

"Yeah, yeah; no helicopters. Got it," Inuyasha said as he helped Koga load the rest of the gear.

Kagome gave Inu a hug as Koga jumped from the tailgate of the truck.

"We'll be back tomorrow afternoon some time. I'm hoping before Sesshomaru."

"For your sake, I hope so. He's going to pitch a fit when he finds out," Inu said laughing.

"He'll get over it," Kagome said before she sighed. "Eventually," she added, thinking how this seemed to be everyone's favorite thing to say lately.

"Be safe please," Inu asked one last time, knowing full well it wouldn't do any good.

He hoped Kagome would prove to be the voice of reason like she normally was, but he also knew that with five guys trying to talk her into something, she could easily be swayed. He sighed when they all piled into the two trucks and headed down the driveway with stereos blasting.

"It's going to be quiet around here for a little while," He said out loud before returning to the garage. "I better go check on how Miroku and the others are doing."

 **XOXOXOXOXOXOX** DIRT **OXOXOXOXOXOXO**

"Oh great," Inuyasha groaned when he noticed the sheriff walking towards him.

The officer walked across the black top of the recently paved road and stopped next to Inuyasha who was standing astride his bike taking a breather. Behind them, Koga and Kagome were jumping the road on their bikes while Bankotsu, Hiten, and Naraku sat in lawn chairs in the shade of the trucks. They had been riding in this spot all afternoon and had found that if they used the dirt mounds on each side of the road as a ramp, they could easily clear the road.

"Good afternoon officer," Inuyasha said sarcastically.

"What's your name?" The sheriff asked.

"Inuyasha," He answered.

"Well Inuyasha, it doesn't look like your bike here has any of the requirements to be on the street."

"I wasn't on the street," Inuyasha countered.

"Yes, you were," The officer said pulling out his ticket book. "License."

"Oh come on!" Inuyasha whined. "I wasn't on the road. What about them?" He asked holding a hand out as Koga jumped the road.

"What about them?" The officer asked. "They're not-" He turned as Kagome jumped the road going in the opposite direction, landing in the dirt on the other side. "Nope, they're not on the road. _You_ were on the road. License."

"It's in the damn truck," Inuyasha hopped off his bike to push it across the road.

Once in the middle of the road he stopped.

"Oh wait is this okay? I have my bike on the asphalt," He asked, his voice cold and mocking.

The sheriff smirked.

"As long as you're not _riding it_ , it's fine."

Inuyasha shook his head and continued across the road the sheriff right beside him. He flipped Koga off as he jumped over them pulling his bike into a whip.

"Why does this shit always happen to me?" He grumbled as he propped his bike against the side of Koga's truck.

 **XOXOXOXOXOXOX** DIRT **OXOXOXOXOXOXO**

"I wonder how much that ticket's going to cost you?" Koga asked as he plopped down in a lawn chair next to Inuyasha by the camp fire.

"That guy was such an ass hole," Inuyasha grumbled. "I wasn't on the God damned road."

"He seemed to think that you were," Kagome said with a laugh.

"You could always go into court and protest it," Bankotsu offered. "But it would be your word against his."

"Couldn't we go and vouch for him?" Kagome asked.

"I don't know," Bankotsu said honestly.

"It wouldn't be worth your time," Naraku said from his chair across from them. "That ticket's only going to be a few hundred at the most. Court would cost a lot more than that."

"I don't have the money to pay for it though," Inuyasha said dejectedly.

"Shut up. You know damn well that your dad will pick it up," Koga said.

"Yeah but at what cost?" Inuyasha said with a sigh.

"Just forget about it until the stupid thing comes in the mail," Koga offered.

"You should tell him as soon as you get home," Kagome said glaring at Koga.

"Putting it off will only make it worse. If he knows to expect it, he may not get as angry about it."

Inuyasha nodded, although he wasn't quite sure if he would be heeding her advice. His father on a war path was not something he wanted to witness as soon as he got home. Kagome stood and walked to Koga's truck. After a moment of riffling around in the bed of it she returned to the campfire. She stood next to Inuyasha with her arms folded across her chest.

"I gave you one thing to remember. _One thing_ , Inuyasha," She said obviously angry.

"What?!" Inuyasha said with a cringe.

"Blankets. I asked you to get-"

"I did get them!" He said defensively.

" _Two_ blankets for _three_ people?! That's your idea of getting blankets?"

"Yeah. What's wrong with it?"

"That means that there will be one under us and one on top of us. It's going to be freeze-your-ass-off cold out here tonight and we'll be in the back of a _truck_ with _one_ blanket!"

"Relax Kags," Koga said attempting to keep the peace. "There will be three of us huddled together back there; the body heat will keep us warm."

"You are so lucky your cousin is not here to have heard you say that," Kagome said trying to fight the smirk that was threatening to cross her face at the thought of how Sesshomaru would have reacted to his statement. "You two can huddle together back there. I'm sleeping in the cab."

"There is no way in hell I'm going to be sleeping under _one_ blanket with Special," Inuyasha said disgusted.

Kagome smiled. "Then perhaps you should have brought more than two blankets."

"I'd offer you my sleeping bag Kagome, but then I'd be freezing my ass off," Hiten said.

"Thanks Hiten," Kagome said before she sighed heavily. "I guess I don't have a choice."

"You're not going to tell Sesshomaru about this are you?" Inuyasha asked sounding worried.

He knew full well that his brother would kick his ass and Koga's for even allowing her to come on this little trip without him. If he found out about her sleeping in the back of Koga's truck with the two of them, let's just say he would no longer need to worry about what his father would say about the ticket he had gotten earlier. Kagome glared at him murderously.

"No, but you're going to owe me one big time," she promised pointing a finger at him. He sighed and nodded. "Both of you," she added.

"What?! Why do I owe you anything?" Koga complained.

"Because this is your fault too mister I-don't-feel-like-hooking-on-the-toy-hauler. If we had brought it like I suggested; we would each have our own bed. With blankets," she added looking at Inuyasha once more.

"Hooking that thing on when we're only going to be gone for one night was a really stupid idea," he cringed after the last word left his mouth.

"I'll forgive that little comment and all your bitching, if you two agree to teach me how to do a back flip," she said with a grin.

"You want _us_...to teach _you..._ how to do a back flip?" Inuyasha asked, not believing what she was asking him.

"Yes."

"Okay," Koga said before standing.

"You're insane! Sesshomaru will kill us all if he found out," Inuyasha said, also getting up from his chair.

"He won't find out," Kagome said confidently. "If for some reason he did, I would make sure that you two wouldn't get into any trouble."

"As I said a second ago," Koga started. "I'll do it."

"Thank you," Kagome said with a slight nod of her head.

"But-" Koga said with a smirk. "You're going to do something for me."

"Wh...what?" Kagome asked.

"I'll be risking my very life by teaching you that trick," he reasoned. "There for, you're going to do something for me."

"What?" Kagome asked, almost afraid that she did.

"I haven't decided yet. I'll let you know when I do," Koga said walking towards the truck.

"I'm not agreeing to some open-ended thing. God only knows what the hell your twisted mind could come up with," Kagome protested, following him.

"Don't worry; it won't be something like what I'm sure you're thinking. Which by the way; get your dirty mind out of the gutter," he reprimanded with a wink.

Koga sat down on the tail gate of his truck. Inuyasha walked over to them as Koga was taking his shoes off.

"You're sleeping between us right?" He asked Kagome.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "What the hell do you do when I'm not here?" She asked climbing into the bed of the truck.

" _Not_ sleep next to each other," Inuyasha said with a huff.

"Do you agree to help teach me?" She asked slyly.

"Yes," he said under his breath.

"Alright then," she said before spreading one of the blankets out.

Koga waited for her to finish while Inuyasha grabbed their pillows out of the cab. He threw them to Koga before he slipped off his shoes and also climbed into the back of the truck. Kagome crawled under the second blanket she had spread out, laying on her side. Once Inuyasha and Koga were on either side of her she sat up again.

"Good night guys!" She called to Bankotsu, Hiten, and Naraku.

"Night," they replied.

There were a few moments of just the sound of the crackling campfire before the obvious sound of someone being hit.

"Keep your damn paws to yourself Koga!" Kagome hissed.

"Sorry, it's habit," he wheezed. "That wasn't any reason to elbow me in the stomach."

"You're lucky that I aimed high," she warned.

The three sitting around the campfire started laughing as well as Inuyasha.

 **XOXOXOXOXOXOX** DIRT **OXOXOXOXOXOXO**

Naraku approached the back of Koga's truck quietly, his digital camera clutched in his hand. The sun was just barely rising and everyone else was still sound asleep. Once reaching the open tailgate, he smiled when he saw the three pairs of sock-clad feet hanging out from under the one blanket they shared. He could clearly make out which of the three bodies was Kagome and which was Koga, as their heads rested on one of two pillows, but Inuyasha's head was under the blanket.

He turned the camera on before he grabbed the end of the blanket and pulled on it slowly. Stopping once when Kagome shifted slightly with a contented sigh. Once Naraku had the blanket off them completely, he smirked.

 _'They make this_ way _to easy.'_ He thought as he readied the camera.

Kagome slept on her side in between Koga and Inuyasha. Koga was sleeping solidly against her back with his face buried into her hair at the nape of her neck. His left arm was carelessly flung across her body and his left leg was intertwined between hers. Inuyasha was snuggled against her other side with his face resting against her chest, with Kagome's chin resting between his puppy ears. Inuyasha had both hands tucked between their bodies and Kagome's left arm was flung over his body, much the way that Koga's was over her own.

Naraku quickly snapped a few pictures before he casually threw the blanket back over them and walked back to his own truck.

"Sesshomaru's going to love those," he said to himself as he tucked the camera back into his gear bag.

 **XOXOXOXOXOXOX** DIRT **OXOXOXOXOXOXO**

 **A/N:** Ooo, that crafty little bastard is up to something. Poor Sesshomaru, off promoting while everyone else is out having fun, getting tickets, and sleeping in the back of trucks unprepared. :D Good times. Good times. At least he got some before he left XD

* * *

Re-posted on: November 17th, 2016


	10. THERE AND BACK AGAIN

**Chapter 10: THERE AND BACK AGAIN**

"I love you," Kagome said softly before she flipped her cell phone shut and jumped off of her bed.

Without hesitating a second, she dashed out of her bedroom and down the hall. She slid to a stop in front of Koga's bedroom door and started banging on it.

"What?!" Came the moody reply from the other side.

"Are you up?" She asked as she pushed open the door and then paused to ask a more important question. "Are you dressed?"

"Yes. But if you don't want me to be..."

"No. No," she said quickly shaking her head. "Sess just called and said that he won't be home until tomorrow night."

"And?" Koga asked wondering why that would make her so happy.

"We can start my training," she squealed as she bounced up and down.

"Oh. Yeah okay. We'll start right after breakfast in the morning."

"But there's still a few hours of day light left. Couldn't we start tonight?"

"But we've been riding all day. I'm sore and tired from having to sleep in the back of a truck last night."

"Come on. Please?" She begged. "All you have to do is sit there and give me pointers."

She looked at him with a soft expression and his resolve crumbled instantly.

"Alright, knock it off already would ya? But we're only working in the foam pit," he cautioned.

"Yay! Let me go change and I'll meet you out there."

She darted from the room and Koga heaved a sigh.

"What have I gotten myself into?" He wondered aloud.

 **XOXOXOXOXO** DIRT **OXOXOXOXOX**

"So you've been hanging around long enough to know the basics," Koga began as he stood next to Kagome. "Just try a few times to get the feel for it."

"Okay." She smiled.

"Why does she get to start on an eighty and we had to start on the stupid BMX bikes?" Hiten asked.

"Because we've only got a day to teach her," Inu answered.

Kagome kick-started her dirt bike with ease and while it idled she pulled on her helmet.

"I must say this is the most stylish attire that I've seen anyone attempt a back flip in thus far," Jakotsu said grinning.

Kagome was wearing black, turquoise, and white plaid Bermuda shorts, with a black tank top and her white Fox motorcycle boots.

"You look adorable Kags," Jakotsu cooed.

She laughed. "Thank you."

"Inuyasha's working the cable for you and if you get into trouble he'll help you out," Inu explained.

"Inu..." Kagome said sweetly. "This isn't my first time falling into the pit."

"I know." He smiled down at her. "Be safe."

She nodded and he stepped back.

"Are you ready?" Koga asked.

She nodded with a determined 'yes' and he tapped the top of her helmet.

"Good luck," he said.

"Luck is for losers," she joked.

"Ha! You sound like the Ice Boy," Koga laughed trying not to show how worried he was.

Kagome pinned the throttle and let the clutch out, taking off towards the ramp. Everyone watched her first run on baited breath. She went up the ramp and pulled her bike around in a flip then landed into the foam with a 'whoosh'. She made her first attempt at a back flip look as if she had done one a million times. Everyone erupted into cheers once it sank in _what_ had happened.

"I _knew_ she'd get it the first time," Inu said proudly.

"I can't believe how smooth she made that look," Bankotsu said in awe.

"She's flawless," Naraku breathed not realizing that he had said it aloud.

Koga shot him an angry glare which Naraku missed. Koga didn't like the way he had been acting around Kagome since Sesshomaru had left. Something about that guy just wasn't right. The way he had said that last comment wasn't right either. It sounded like _way_ more than a congratulatory remark.

Kagome was squealing with delight as Inuyasha got her and her bike out of the foam pit and set her once more on the asphalt. She quickly kick-started her bike and rode down to where the others were waiting.

"Whoo! Can I try it on dirt now?" She asked.

"No!" Koga practically shouted. "I mean, that was your first attempt," he back pedaled. "Try it into there a few more times okay?

She nodded as he pointed to the foam pit.

"This bike's harder to pull around then I thought it would be," Kagome commented absently.

"Wait until it's a two-fifty." Koga laughed.

"Ugh. Do I have to do it on a two-fifty? Can't I just stay on an eighty?" She whined.

Koga snorted at her question. She should have known better.

"No. You wouldn't get the burst of speed you need to get high enough to do any decent tricks. Let alone a back flip," he explained, knowing that she already knew those facts.

"Fine," she pouted.

"Kags, you should totally enter the novice division with us at the next comp," Hakkaku said as he patted her on the back.

"Yeah you have some wicked skills," Ginta cheered.

"You should enter. It would be fun to watch you put some of those boys in their places," Jakotsu said smiling.

Kagome looked to Inu for an approval.

"If you want to...I'll help you out with the entries and that punk of a boyfriend you have," He answered.

"Alright! You guys will have to help me with my trick list," she answered happily. Still on her euphoric high from completing her first back flip.

"Now that's funny." Hiten laughed. "We should be asking you for help in that department."

Kagome shrugged. "But I've never been _in_ a competition before."

"You'll do fine," Bankotsu assured her. "You know as much about them as we do."

"Seriously," Ginta added.

"We're running out of day light," Inu stated. "Get a few more runs in before it gets dark."

Kagome nodded and turned her bike around before taking off towards the ramp again.

 **XOXOXOXOXO** DIRT **OXOXOXOXOX**

Koga shuffled from his bedroom dressed, but still half asleep.

"She is _so_ not worth getting up at six in the morning for," he grumbled as he clumsily walked down the stairs.

Once he reached the bottom he could hear Kagome softly humming to herself and the sound of dishes clanging together. When he rounded the corner he heaved a sigh when he caught site of the table. It was _loaded_ with food. It had everything from eggs to toast and his absolute favorite; pancakes. Kagome turned around with a pitcher of orange juice in hand and noticed Koga standing in the entryway.

"Good morning," she greeted with a bright smile. "I hope you're hungry."

Koga nodded and closed the distance to the table before pulling out a chair and sitting down.

"Why so much?" He questioned as he surveyed the banquet before him.

"Everyone's supposed to be here soon. I suggest you get started now. You know how Inuyasha and Inu can be."

She returned to the stove as Sango helped Miroku down the stairs on his crutches.

"Something smells fantastic," Miroku commented, alerting Kagome to their presence.

"Oh good, I was hoping that you two would make it down before the others got here," Kagome said as she pulled out a chair for Miroku.

"Thanks," he said gratefully.

"Everything looks so good Kags," Sango said as she too took a seat. "You've been busy this morning. Why didn't you come ask me for help?"

"Oh it's no big deal. Besides, you're my guest. I'd be a horrible host if I made you cook for me."

Sango laughed.

"You couldn't sleep, could you?" Koga asked with a knowing grin.

Kagome sighed and slumped down into an empty chair.

"Not for more than an hour."

Koga laughed.

"So what time do you expect Sesshomaru to be back?" Miroku asked as he dished himself a plate-full of potatoes.

"Not before one," Kagome answered looking to the front door as it opened.

Inuyasha entered followed by the back flip academy students, with Inu bringing up the rear. Kagome popped up out of her chair with a warm smile.

"Sorry guys. There aren't enough chairs so some of you will have to eat in the living room."

"Don't worry about silly things like that," Inu playfully scolded. "The fact that you're even allowing these heathens into your house amazes me."

"Hey!" Jakotsu protested. "I take exception to that remark."

Hiten laughed. "Why? You're as out of control as the rest of us."

"Still," Jakotsu said pretending to pout as Kagome handed him a plate.

"Making you all breakfast is the least that I could do since you're all helping me out."

"You're trying to bribe us through our stomachs," Inuyasha commented as he shoveled scrambled eggs into his mouth.

Kagome grinned mischievously.

"It's just a little insurance in case any of you decide to squeal on me."

"No one here would do that to you Kags," Koga informed her. "Although...I might consider it if you refuse to make me your homemade cinnamon rolls for the next week."

"Don't you dare black-mail her into feeding you," Sango snapped.

To emphasize her point, Sango rapped him on the back of the hand with her fork.

"Ow! I'm only kidding," Koga cried. Once Sango went back to eating he added quietly. "Two days will be enough; especially if she brings them to me in bed."

"Why you!" Sango huffed.

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" Koga laughed as he attempted to block Sango's attack.

Inu shook his head as he turned to Kagome who was watching the fray with a grin.

"I took the liberty of printing out the entries for the Monster Games for you. I filled them out already; all you have to do is sign them."

"Thanks. I'm...not sure if I'll be doing it though, Kagome said unsure.

Inu watched her with a look of concern.

"Don't worry about what Sesshomaru will say. If you want to enter, then do it. Tell him to kiss your ass."

Kagome couldn't help but giggle.

"I'm not so sure that would work. He might take me up on the offer."

"Hm. Not that I could blame him..." Inu said and smirked when Kagome blushed. "I will take care of him should he decide to get out of hand," He assured her.

Kagome turned to smile at him.

"In that case, where do I sign?"

"That's my girl." Inu smiled before taking a drink from his glass of orange juice. "Don't let him hold you back. You're far too talented to be taking that kind of shit."

Kagome smiled and reached out to take his much larger hand in her own. They shared a look of understanding before Kagome turned to hand Naraku a plate.

 **XOXOXOXOXO** DIRT **OXOXOXOXOX**

"Nice and easy, like yesterday," Inu half shouted over the high pitched sound of Kagome's two-fifty.

She nodded and continued to stare straight ahead at the steel ramp to the foam pit. Day two of her training had begun. It was nearing seven-thirty and she had hoped that they would have been out there earlier; unfortunately she didn't take into account how much those boys would eat. Inuyasha was on the verge a being sick he had stuffed so much food down his throat. She smirked at the thought, causing Inu to wonder what she could be thinking of.

"I know I don't need to tell you, but I'm going to say it anyway. You'll need more speed-" He began.

"If I already know this then why are you telling me?" She asked finally turning to look at him.

"You've picked up some unfortunate habits from that son of mine," He chided.

Kagome cocked her head to the side as she considered his words.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I'm just a little anxious is all."

Inu smiled in understanding.

"I know little one," he said as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "I also know that it's a waste of my breath to tell you that if you're not up to doing this, you don't have to."

Kagome looked back to the ramp.

"It's something that I've wanted to do for such a long time," she began, not really talking to Inu. "Then the whole idea of getting to play on the same field as Sess for once is somewhat...scary. But it's really exciting at the same time."

He nodded.

"Kagome," He interjected. "I have every confidence in you that you will go out there and win that competition. If you have a back flip in your arsenal of tricks or not, I doubt it will make much of a difference."

Kagome turned to smile at him before adding, "But if I throw down a back flip, I'll be untouchable."

He grinned broadly before patting her on the back.

"Don't let the weight of the bike scare you," he said, suddenly changing the subject. "You don't have the upper-body strength like the boys. It might take a few tries to get used to it and figure out how to compensate."

She nodded and picked her left foot up off of the pavement, setting it on the foot-peg and readied for her first attempt.

 _'No big deal. The bike is just a little bigger that's all. I can do this.'_ She mentally prepared herself.

With one final deep breath she let out the clutch and sped towards the ramp. She had taken that ramp many times and felt comfortable with it. As she reached the top she prepared to pull the heavy bike around in a flip. Try as she might, she didn't have enough momentum and couldn't complete the rotation, landing safely into the foam on her back with the bike landing a couple of feet away. The group let out a collective groan of disappointment.

"I thought for sure that she'd get it the first time," Hakkaku said dejectedly.

"That bike outweighs her by almost double. Give her a few times to get used to it," Koga said with a proud grin.

Kagome kick-started her bike once she was back on the ground and didn't waste any time getting back down to the starting area where Inu was waiting for her.

"Okay," she began, a little out of breath. "Now that I've gotten falling out of the way...I need to start trying to pull back a little sooner I think." She looked over her shoulder at Inu for his input.

"Sounds like a plan. You're the one that needs to find the niche," he answered her silent question.

Kagome nodded and took off towards the ramp once again full of confidence. She could do this! It wasn't any different than learning any of the other tricks that Sesshomaru had taught her. A small part of her wished that he was the one waiting for her to ride back to him and offer her pointers. She also knew better. He was going to come completely unglued when he found out about this. She smirked as she headed up the ramp, thinking of the look on his face when she performed one in the competition that she still had to tell him about. This time slightly before she reached the end of the ramp, she began to pull on the bike. It came around in a graceful arc and landed with the back wheel coming down before the front.

"A slight over-rotation, but she can fix that easy enough," Koga commented.

"I wouldn't believe it if I had not just seen that!" Hiten shouted. " _She_...just did a God damned back flip. On a friggin' two-fifty!"

"Ten bucks when she gets over here she'll want to take it onto dirt," Bankotsu said turning to Naraku.

"There's nothing to bet against. Of course she'll want to," Jakotsu said before Naraku could say anything.

"That, boys, just set the first spark to something much larger. Kagome is going to not only be the first female to enter a freestyle competition, but she is going to be the first female to complete a back flip in competition," Inu said full of pride.

He silently prayed that Sesshomaru would see this in the same light. Kagome was talented. Far beyond most men that attended the competitions. He could see Sesshomaru's side of this, he wanted to protect her. Well that was all fine and dandy, but Inu had learned a long time ago that you sometimes had to let the one's you love go out on their own and try the things that cause you to lose sleep at night. He would never allow anyone, other than Izayoi, to know how much worry he had gone through ever since both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha had taken up this sport. As much as he wanted to put his foot down and forbid them to attempt the cockamamie ideas for tricks they came up with, he had to let them crash and burn a few times to figure it out themselves. Loving them meant the he had to step back and pray for their safety. He again sent up a silent prayer that Sesshomaru could understand that.

Kagome rode past the others and straight to Inu.

"I did it!" She cried. "A little bit of an over rotation but, I did it!"

Inu smiled.

"It was truly something to behold," he said softly.

Kagome nodded, not really sure what he had said, but she assumed it was something that would be under the category of praise.

"Spot your landing throughout the entire rotation," Koga said as he moved up to Inu's side.

"I got a little distracted when I realized that I was actually doing it," Kagome admitted.

"That could cause you a painful wreck when you're not falling into foam," Inu cautioned.

"It won't happen again," Kagome assured him with a smile.

"You're wasting time," Naraku said suddenly joining the conversation. "If you want to be able to practice on dirt today, you need to work all of these little snags out."

Inu eyed him suspiciously before he agreed.

"He's right. We'll have time to discuss things after Sesshomaru's back. Well, not in front of him obviously," he added with a chuckle. "Go again."

Kagome nodded and rode off to make a large sweeping turn before she headed towards the ramp again.

 **XOXOXOXOXO** DIRT **OXOXOXOXOX**

Kagome sat astride her dirt bike waiting for Koga and Inu to finish debating where the best location to place the steel ramp was. They had been at it for close to ten minutes now and it was wearing on her last nerve.

 _'Don't they remember that we've only got another hour at best?'_ She wondered to herself before heaving a bored sigh. _'Let's just get on with it. If I crash, then the ramp wasn't in the right spot.'_

She looked down at the hard, unforgiving ground beneath her boots and shook her head. No, playing crash-test dummy was _not_ something that she wanted to do today.

"It needs to be at least ten feet back from where it is now," Inu instructed calmly.

"It's fine where it is," Koga countered. "She's not going for a record distance here."

"No, but I would like her to be able to get a rotation in and land without breaking her neck," Inu said forcefully.

"She can do that with where the ramp is now."

"Why don't you let Kagome decide?" Jakotsu offered, turning to smile at Kagome.

"Pft! Like she'd know where to put the ramp," Hiten laughed.

Everyone looked at him with cold glares, causing him to rethink his outburst. Kagome brushed it off, knowing that Hiten didn't mean anything by the comment. Or at least that's what she told herself. After all she'd never attempted a back flip onto dirt before.

"What's the distance that the ramp will be at the competition?" She asked.

"Uh...the ramp that you'd want to hit for a back flip would probably be set at..." Koga said as he mentally calculated the distance. With a sigh of defeat he finished, "Right where Inu said to put it."

Inu grinned triumphantly but said nothing. Mumbling to himself, Koga walked back to the backhoe and started it up once again. He shifted the massive piece of equipment into reverse and drug the ramp backwards roughly ten feet. Inuyasha unhooked the heavy chains that were attached to the ramp and Koga then pulled away to park the backhoe off to the side where it would be out of the way. While everyone watched the production, Sango had appeared at Kagome's side.

"Hey," she greeted with a smile. "So you're really doing this?"

"Yep, now that they've finally agreed where to put the ramp," Kagome answered with a grin.

"I'm assuming that practicing into the foam pit went well then?"

"I got in about twenty runs," Kagome said, intentionally not mentioning the runs where she didn't complete the trick.

"Aren't you scared?" Sango asked finally.

Kagome turned away from her, looking back towards the ramp.

"Nope," she lied.

She was nervous beyond belief but it wasn't about trying a back flip onto dirt for the first time. She worried that Sesshomaru would arrive home earlier then he had anticipated.

"Okay Kags. Let 'er rip!" Koga shouted from near the ramp.

Kagome nodded and kick-started her bike before riding towards him. When she reached him she stopped and they waited for Inuyasha and Inu to join them.

"Nervous?" Inuyasha asked.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Kagome wondered aloud.

Inuyasha shrugged.

"I was scared shitless my first time," he said honestly.

"I'm more worried that we're going to be joined by a certain youkai at any moment."

Inu looked at his watch.

"He won't be here for another forty-five minutes. We've got plenty of time," he assured her.

"Now, it's the same as in the pit but obviously you won't have a nice soft landing," Koga pointed out.

"Obviously," Kagome echoed.

"Remember to spot your landing the entire time," Inu instructed.

"Be hauling ass when you get to the ramp," Inuyasha added.

"Commit one hundred percent from the beginning," Koga inserted.

"Be safe," Inu said with a squeeze to her shoulder. "Above all else."

Kagome smiled at the three of them, their obvious concern was written across their faces.

"Okay, let's get this first one out of the way," she said as she picked her left foot up off of the ground.

The three men nodded and stepped out of the way to let her pass. She slowly made her way to a clear spot about forty feet from the ramp and turned around. Everyone moved into one large group as they waited for her to go.

"I can't believe that we've been working at this for two weeks almost and we've just started on dirt on stupid pit bikes and she's out here on a frickin' two-fifty when she just started last night," Hiten complained to Bankotsu.

"She's spent every second with Sesshomaru while he was learning and while he's been teaching others," Naraku said. "I think that she's qualified."

The half of the group that heard his comment looked to him briefly before turning their attention back to Kagome. She took off sending sand, gravel, and leaves spraying behind her. She closed the distance to the ramp increasing her speed by the second, easily shifting through the gears. She raced up the ramp and let the momentum carry her into the air. She pulled the bike around pushing herself forward over the front then pulling back as she shifted her weight towards the rear fender. As she neared the ground for her landing, she realized that she had under-rotated and was going to land with her front wheel down first.

 _'Crap!'_ She shouted in her mind as she thought of the best way to attempt to land.

Realizing that there was only one way that this was going to end, she clung to the bike and clenched her teeth and her eyes shut. Inu and Koga began running forward long before she neared the ground, noticing the under-rotation before Kagome did.

"Oh God." Sango breathed and buried her face into Jakotsu's shoulder since he was the closest person to her.

The others gasped as the front wheel of Kagome's bike slammed into the ground sending her over the handlebars and through the air once again. She landed on her hip but let her body roll with the force, finally rolling to a stop a few feet later. She laid face down and unmoving, fearing that if she moved she'd find out that something was broken.

"Kagome!" Inu shouted as he ran to her side.

He fell to his knees next to her and reached out to grab her, suddenly stopping himself from pulling her onto her back. If she was severally injured that would be the worst thing to do. He gently touched her shoulder as Koga slid to a stop next to him.

"Is she okay?!" He half yelled.

"Kagome?" Inu asked softly.

"Ow...ouch," she choked out.

Her lungs burned as she tried to fill them with the air they so desperately needed.

"Oh thank God," Inu whispered, happy that she wasn't unconscious as he had originally feared. "Are you okay? Where does it hurt?"

Kagome thought about his question. Where _didn't_ she hurt?

"Everywhere," she finally answered as she remained unmoving.

"I'm going to help you onto your back okay?" Inu asked.

Kagome didn't answer and he gently rolled her over. Her eyes instantly met his.

"I under-rotated...again."

Koga and Inu both let out a weak chuckle.

"Yeah," Inu agreed.

Kagome then attempted to sit up, and with some assistance from Inu, finally achieved success.

"Okay, so...what do I need to do to fix that?" She asked after a few deep breaths.

"You're crazy," Koga said flatly.

"I need to know so I can fix it," she continued.

"Are you sure that you're okay?" Inu asked as he checked her over.

"Yes. A little out of breath but I'm okay." Kagome smiled and moved to stand up.

Koga reached down to her and she grabbed his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet.

"Thanks," she coughed. "Is the bike still going to run?"

They all turned to look at the bike. Inuyasha and Bankotsu were lifting it off of the ground. The front wheel was bent almost in half and both of the front forks were bent.

"It's not looking so good," Koga finally said.

"Is there another one that I can use until I get Inuyasha to fix that one?" She asked.

"Are you sure that you want to try again so soon?" Inu questioned, the concerned obvious in his voice.

"Yes," Kagome answered immediately. "I've don't have much time and I might not get to work on them again before the competition."

"Alright," Inu sighed. "Koga-"

"I'll be right back," he cut across Inu, knowing that he was going to be asked to retrieve another bike for Kagome.

"Do you want to sit down?" Inu asked as he continued to hold onto Kagome as they slowly made their way towards Inuyasha and Bankotsu.

"No. I think that I need to keep moving before I get stiff or something."

He nodded. It never ceased to amaze him that she was so resilient. They stopped when they reached the crumpled up mess that was her bike. The rest of the group came over, they had stayed put before, not wanting to get in the way. Sango latched onto Kagome with a hug.

"Are you okay?!" She cried.

Kagome laughed.

"Yeah, I bounce well," she answered as Sango let go of her.

"That was a hard fall. I can't believe you're a human," Hiten said in awe. "You're a girl. Shouldn't you be crying or something?"

Kagome shot him a glare.

"Can beating your ass be the 'or something'?" She asked seriously.

Hiten laughed nervously.

"Point taken," he mumbled.

"You're one tough cookie Kags," Jakotsu complemented.

She simply smiled at him from behind her helmet. Inuyasha, Bankotsu, and Naraku drug her bike out of the way as Koga returned riding one of the 'beater' bikes. He stepped off and held the bike for Kagome to get on. She swung her leg over the seat and sat down with a slow hiss. Her hip was killing her.

 _'I'm going to have a nice bruise on it I bet.'_ She thought as she moved to ride down to her starting point again.

Once she rode off everyone moved out of the way. Sango grabbed Inu's arm.

"Are you sure that she should be doing this?" She asked.

"I doubt that I could stop her," Inu said honestly, turning to watch Kagome as she started towards the ramp.

Kagome gripped the handlebars tightly, determined to complete a back flip and land it. She went up the ramp and pulled the bike around using her weight again, but this time she started a fraction of a second later then she had for her first run. She completed the rotation and landed well, but hard; the impact jarring her back and causing her to almost lose control of the bike. The bike bogged down slightly in the soft sand so she twisted the throttle a little more and gained the extra traction she needed. After getting the bike back under control she made a wide turn and rode back to the others, still in shock of what had happened.

"Kags!" Sango cried. "You did it!"

Koga wrapped his arms around Kagome's trembling form and held her tight.

"I knew you could do it," he said softly.

"Alright. Alright," Inu said pulling on Koga's shoulder. "Let the poor thing have some air."

As soon as Koga complied Inu latched onto Kagome with a fierce hug of his own. He held her tight for a few seconds before he released her and leaned back slightly, looking her in the eyes.

"How's your back?" He asked.

"Huh?" Kagome asked confused.

"You took quite a beating during that landing," Inu explained. "Not to worry. I'm sure you'll feel it tomorrow."

"Gee. Thanks," Kagome mumbled. "The backflip itself felt a lot better that time."

"That's because you did it right," Inuyasha said with a laugh.

"It's also probably because you landed it," Jakotsu added.

"Now, I know you're not over the last run, but you've maybe got another fifteen minutes before we need to get you cleaned up," Inu informed her.

"Right. I'm ready for another. That feeling will never get old," Kagome said grinning as she once again kick-started her bike and took off towards her starting area.

Within those last fifteen minutes she landed six back flips; four of them with rock solid landings. Inu insisted that Kagome go and get cleaned up while they took the bikes back. Beginning to feel the effects of hitting the ground, she decided that taking a hot shower sounded _way_ better than putting the bikes away. She and Sango took the golf cart that Sango had driven over, back to the house while Inu rode the running dirt bike back to the garage. Inuyasha, Koga, and Bankotsu loaded the thrashed bike into the bucket of the backhoe and Koga drove it back to the garage. Once there Koga and Inuyasha immediately began to work on switching out the forks and wheel, hoping that Sesshomaru wouldn't return before they finished their task. Coming up with a believable story of how Kagome's bike had ended up in that condition wouldn't have been much fun; especially with Sesshomaru breathing down their necks.

 **XOXOXOXOXO** DIRT **OXOXOXOXOX**

Sesshomaru walked through the front door of his house a little surprised when Kagome hadn't met him on the porch and he definitely knew something was up when she wasn't waiting for him in the living room.

"Kags?" He called out expecting her to emerge from the kitchen.

When she didn't he headed for the stares, duffel bag in hand, and started to make his way towards their bedroom. He also thought that it was odd that Koga hadn't been lounging around and just where the hell were Miroku and Sango? He walked down the hall and walked through the doorway stopping when he caught sight of the bed. Kagome was sleeping on top of the comforter wearing a pair of his boxers and a tank top. Her hair was still damp, so she had obviously just taken a shower. With a devious smirk he stepped forward, dropping his duffel bag near the end of the bed just before he sat on the edge of it next to Kagome. She shifted in her sleep when the bed shifted with his weight but didn't wake up. He was torn. He hadn't seen her in three days and he really wanted to wake her up. On the other hand, if she was sleeping in the middle of the day she must have been really tired. Which in turn lead him to wonder _why_ she would be so tired. Without really thinking about it, he gently ran his hand up her bare arm before pushing a few stray locks of her hair behind her ear. She gave a sleepy sigh with the contact and her eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Sess?" She asked in an equally sleepy tone.

He ginned when she smiled and turned over onto her back. He placed a hand on the bed next to her right side while his other hand returned to her left arm. He slowly leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. They shared a soft, slow kiss before he pulled away.

"Welcome home," she greeted sounding more awake.

"It's good to be back," he replied with a smile. "Where is everyone?"

"Hm? Oh they're probably over at the guest house. Izayoi was going to make lunch for everyone."

He ran his thumb over her skin in an unseen pattern while he listened.

"Why aren't you over there?" He asked.

"I was tired so I decided to take a nap."

"I'm sorry that I woke you."

"Don't be. I'm glad that you did," she said as she reached up with her left hand and ran it around his neck, pulling him down for another kiss.

After a moment they reluctantly pulled apart and Sesshomaru pushed himself off of the bed. Kagome joined him seconds later and pulled him into a hug.

"How did it go?" She asked.

"It was fun actually. I got to hang out with Jeremy McGrath for a while."

"Ooo. I'm jealous," Kagome said with a whine.

"I knew you would be," he teased. "I was bombarded with questions about me attempting a double back flip."

"You're not are you?" Kagome asked pulling away from him suddenly.

"No," He assured her as he pulled her back into his arms. "I met a few fan girls that pledged their undying love for me."

Kagome giggled.

"Any marriage proposals?"

"One or two," he answered with a frown.

"I think it's cute," Kagome said as she snuggled closer to him.

"You say that now, but I'd be interested to see how you would react if you were there when it was happening."

"It's all part of being a super star," she teased.

"Hn," Wwas his only reply as he lifted her chin so that he could kiss her again.

As the kiss became more passionate, his hand slipped down her side to rest at her hip. When he pressed his hand to her hip to move her closer she hissed in pain. Of course he had managed to find her injury sooner than she had anticipated. He pulled away with a look of concern.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"It's nothing. Just a bruise," she said quickly.

"How did you end up with a bruise?" he asked as he motioned for her to turn.

She turned around and he hooked a clawed finger in the waist band of the boxers she wore, pulling them down slightly so that he could inspect her latest injury.

"We went riding yesterday and I went down," It wasn't a total lie.

They _had_ gone riding the day before and she _had_ gone down, just not that day.

"Where did you go riding and who's we?" He asked as he began to search her body for any other wounds.

"We went out to Silverton and ended up staying the night out there. It was Koga, Inuyasha, Bankotsu, Hiten, Naraku, and I," she tensed slightly as she told the story, but Sesshomaru assumed it was because he had found another small bruise on her back.

"It's pretty much all sand out there. How did you manage to get all bruised up?"

"You know me. If there's a possibility then..." Kagome trailed off with a tense laugh.

"Well, you should be more careful in the future," he said as he stood and turned her around before softly kissing her again.

She nodded with a smile.

"Like I said, your mom made lunch over at the guest house. Are you hungry?" She asked.

"Not really, but I better go over there anyway," he said turning from her.

"You go ahead. I'll change and be over in a minute."

He nodded and left the room. Kagome let out a sigh. She felt horrible not telling him the real reason for her bruises.

 _'I shouldn't have to keep this from him.'_ She thought as she walked over to her dresser.

 **XOXOXOXOXO** DIRT **OXOXOXOXOX**

"Hey Sess! When did you get back?" Inuyasha asked as soon as he spotted his brother walking through the front door.

"About twenty minutes ago," Sesshomaru answered. "I hear that you guys went out to Silverton while I was gone."

Inuyasha tensed.

 _'How the fuck does he know that already?! Kagome, you idiot!'_ Inuyasha thought before he recovered from the shock of his brother already knowing about the trip.

"Yeah," Inuyasha confirmed before taking a huge gulp of the soda he held.

"Anything of interest happen?" Sesshomaru asked, enjoying the way his younger brother was squirming.

"Uh..."

 _'Shit! What the hell did she tell him? About my ticket? The sleeping in the back of the truck?'_ Inuyasha panicked.

"Um...not really," was the answer that Inuyasha decided to go with.

"So Kagome crashing and getting all bruised up falls under the category of 'not really'?" Sesshomaru asked coolly.

 _'That must be what she told him to cover up her fall from this morning.'_ Inuyasha reasoned.

"Oh, well, there was that. It was a pretty nasty fall but she seemed to be okay."

Sesshomaru nodded.

"Hey Sesshomaru!" Bankotsu yelled from across the room. "You missed some real fun while you were gone."

Jakotsu elbowed him in the ribs non-to-gently.

"Shut up!" He hissed.

"Ow. Why? I was just going to tell him about Inuyasha's little run in with the law."

Jakotsu gave a sigh of relief while Inuyasha cringed.

 _'Please say dad's not in the room. Please say that dad's not in the room.'_ He prayed.

"You did something unintelligent again didn't you?" Sesshomaru asked with a smirk.

"No!" Inuyasha bit back. "That sheriff just had a stick up his ass and decided to take it out on me. He could have given that ticket to Koga or even Kagome, but _no_. He had to single me out and ruin my day."

Sesshomaru was finding it increasingly difficult to not laugh as his brother continued to rant.

"That guy was a total prick! He wouldn't even listen to me."

"I can't imagine why," Sesshomaru said sarcastically.

"Speaking of the trip, I've got some great pictures," Naraku said suddenly. "There's a few of Kagome and them jumping. Plus a few of Inuyasha receiving his ticket."

"Really?" Sesshomaru said cocking an eyebrow at this brother's misfortune. "I think I might like to see those."

"They're on my camera. Let me go get it," Naraku said as he attempted to walk calmly out of the room.

"That bastard's up to something," Koga said catching Hiten's attention.

"What?" He asked.

"He's got something planned. I don't know what it is but this isn't going to end well," Koga explained, narrowing his eyes when Naraku re-entered the room.

Naraku turned his camera on and handed it to Sesshomaru, briefly showing him how to browse through the pictures. The first picture was of Kagome pulling her bike out of the back of Koga's truck while Inuyasha was throwing the gear bags down to Koga.

"Nice you two; making Kags unload her bike," Sesshomaru 'tisked' as he looked up from the camera.

"What?! She insisted that she do it herself. Right Koga? Ban?" Inuyasha attempted to explain.

"Yeah she pitched a big 'ol fit over it," Koga confirmed.

"She refused to even let them undo the tie-downs," Bankotsu added for effect.

"Hn," Sesshomaru said as he began scrolling through the pictures once again.

The next few were of Kagome, Koga, Inuyasha, Bankotsu, and Hiten jumping what looked to be a road. Then he came to the ones he was interested in.

"Oh. What do we have here?" Sesshomaru asked with a wicked grin.

The pictures showed a basic time-line of events. It started with the squad car pulling over, the officer walking up to Inuyasha, Kagome jumping the road in the background while Inuyasha talked with the officer, the two of them walking across the road, and Inuyasha holding up his ticket with Koga standing next to him holding up his hand in the shape of a 'L'.

"I bet dad would enjoy seeing these priceless moments." Sesshomaru chuckled.

"Don't you dare," Inuyasha hissed.

"So you _haven't_ told him yet. Interesting."

"No I haven't and don't you breathe a word," Inuyasha threatened.

"What are you planning on doing when you receive the copy of the ticket in the mail sometime this week?"

"I'll deal with it then."

Sesshomaru smirked again, thinking about how entertaining this week would be being able to hold this over his brother's head. His smirk quickly faded however when he reached the photos of Kagome sleeping in between Koga and Inuyasha. He looked up from the camera to first look at Naraku with a look of shock which changed into a death glare when he looked at Inuyasha, then Koga.

"What?" Inuyasha asked timidly.

"What is up with this?!" Sesshomaru roared as he thrust the camera in Inuyasha's face.

"Oh...fuck." Inuyasha gasped. "It's not what it looks like," he said quickly.

"Really?" Sesshomaru asked mockingly, again looking at the picture. "It sure looks like what I think it is. How about you Koga?"

He then strode over to Koga and handed him the camera.

"Shit," Koga cursed softly. "It was all Inuyasha's fault."

"Hey!" Inuyasha yelled but quickly shut up when Sesshomaru glared at him.

"Do tell," Sesshomaru demanded.

"You see _he_ forgot to bring the right amount of blankets and then we were forced to share so we wouldn't freeze."

"It's July! It couldn't have been _that_ cold."

"Calm down Sesshomaru it was totally innocent," Koga attempted to reason with his angry cousin.

"You two are..." he stopped short when he heard the door open.

"What's all the yelling about?" Kagome asked as she closed the door behind her.

Sesshomaru said nothing and continued to share a cold glare between Koga, Inuyasha, and Kagome.

 _'Please tell me someone hasn't told him.'_ She prayed.

Sesshomaru was torn for the second time since returning home that day. Should he be angry with her also? Those two idiots were the ones that fucked up. But then again, she allowed it to happen. He ripped the camera out of Koga's hands and turned to face Kagome once more. As he got closer Kagome began to get more nervous.

"Care to explain?" Sesshomaru asked bitterly as he held the camera up to her.

Kagome sucked in a breath.

 _'This is_ not _good.'_ She thought.

"We were camping," Kagome said simply.

Sesshomaru nodded twice.

"Oh well then by all means sleep with whoever you wish," he said coolly.

"I didn't sleep with them _that_ way!" Kagome yelled back. "It was cold and we only had two blankets. What else were we supposed to do?"

"You could have slept in the cab," he offered.

"Yeah I thought of that and decided that I would be more comfortable in the bed of the truck. Why the hell are you freakin out?"

Sesshomaru didn't have an answer for that. Why was he reacting this way? He knew Kagome would never do anything to intentionally hurt him. He also knew that Koga and Inuyasha weren't _that_ stupid. It just pissed him off to no end that they had been that close to her.

"I'm not the one that should be explaining themselves," he finally answered.

"Oh really?" Kagome huffed. "Well I'm done trying to explain something that I shouldn't have to. You're being a total ass!"

She turned and headed for the door. Sesshomaru reached out and grabbed onto her arm.

"Kagome-"

"Let go of me!" She cried as she dramatically pulled her arm out of his grasp, at the same time swinging with her free hand to slap him across the cheek. "Don't touch me," she said attempting to hold back the tears that were threating to fall.

There was a collective gasp from everyone in the room, and then it fell into an awkward silence. When Kagome slammed the door behind her, it snapped Inuyasha out of his daze.

"I can't believe that you just did that to her," he reprimanded in a disgusted tone. "If you should be angry with anyone with this whole stupid thing it's Naraku."

Sesshomaru stood with his hands clenched at his sides and let his brother's words sink in. He hated to admit it but...he was right. This wasn't Kagome's fault. He wouldn't have ever even known had it not been for Naraku. He'd obviously gone out of his way to get the picture, even going so far as to pull off the blanket that covered them. He turned around to face a smirking Naraku and he snapped.

"Get the fuck out of my house!" He yelled, causing the entire room to jump.

* * *

Re-posted on: November 17th, 2016


	11. SOMETHING IN THE AFTERMATH

**Chapter 11: SOMETHING IN THE AFTERMATH**

Kagome ran to the first place she could think of, Inu and Izayoi's house. She burst through the front door taking in shaky breaths as she tried to calm herself from both the run and the pain of Sesshomaru's accusations.

"Kagome? What's wrong?" Inu asked from the couch as he stood up and quickly walked to her.

She was slumped against the front door trying her hardest not to cry, but when Inu pulled her into his arms she finally succumbed to the inevitable.

"What happened?" He asked softly as Kagome cried into his shirt.

"Sess...Sesshomaru's...a jerk!" She finally managed through sobs.

Inu shook his head. Somehow he had already known that his eldest son was the reason for her tears. He rubbed soothing circles on her back while she calmed down.

"What did he do?" Inu asked moments later.

"He found out about our camping trip."

"That's not so bad," Inu said as he directed her towards the couch.

Kagome began crying again and shook her head.

"Naraku had taken pictures of us...in the back of Koga's tr...truck."

"By 'us' you're talking about you, Koga, and Inuyasha?"

She nodded.

"Oh," he said simply.

He knew how protective Sesshomaru was over Kagome. He could just imagine how seeing pictures of her in a compromising position would piss him off.

"He started yelling at me. Accusing me of sleeping with both of them," Kagome continued. "Then...I went to leave and he...he grabbed me."

Inu tensed at her last words.

"What did he do?" He asked forcefully, ready to absolutely kill Sesshomaru if he had raised his hand against her.

"No. No, he didn't...I slapped him," Kagome sobbed and began to cry harder.

Inu took her in his arms again.

"Good girl. He deserved it," he soothed.

Izayoi came into the room and gasped when she saw her husband holding an absolutely hysterical Kagome.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Sesshomaru's acting like an ass," Inu said coolly.

Izayoi 'tisked' and sat down next to Kagome.

"Oh sweetie," she said softly rubbing her hand up and down Kagome's back.

After a moment Kagome released her hold on Inu and sat up.

"Kagome you stay here," He said as he stood up.

"Where are you going?" Kagome asked with a worried look.

"I was going to go get Sango. I'm sure that you would rather cry on her shoulder than mine," he answered with a half-truth.

Oh he was going to bring Sango over like he said, but not until after he knocked some sense into his son. Kagome nodded weakly before turning to Izayoi.

"Can I stay here tonight," she asked.

"Of course sweetheart," Izayoi answered pulling Kagome into her arms.

Izayoi glanced up at Inu and he gave her a tight smile before turning and walking to the front door.

"I'll be back in a minute," he said before he disappeared through the doorway.

"Is he going to kick Sesshomaru's ass?" Kagome asked suddenly.

Izayoi sighed before she answered.

"It looks that way."

"Good," Kagome said bitterly.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX** **DIRT** **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Whoa! You can't just throw me out. I paid good money to be here," Naraku said as Sesshomaru stepped closer to him.

"You should have thought about that _before_ you pulled your little stunt," Sesshomaru answered his voice dripping in venom.

"I did nothing wrong," Naraku defended himself.

"Shut up and get out," Sesshomaru said forcefully, leaving no room for argument.

Naraku decided not to push his luck any further and turned his back on Sesshomaru. He went to the room he shared with Hiten and began throwing his things into his duffel bag. Koga and Inuyasha had taken the opportunity to slink back into the shadows while Sesshomaru fought with Naraku. With him now gone, Sesshomaru was looking for someone new to take his vent his anger on. The front door opened suddenly and Inu walked in looking very pissed off.

"I suggest that you guys find something to do for the next few minutes," Inu said coolly as he glared at Sesshomaru.

The crowded room needed no further hints and quickly scattered out of the room, leaving Sesshomaru and Inu alone.

"How _stupid_ are you?" Inu asked.

Sesshomaru shrugged off the question but caught the scent of something that ripped his heart apart. His father carried the unmistakable scent of Kagome's tears. With a defeated sigh Sesshomaru dropped the stare-down contest with his father and looked down at the hardwood floor.

"She's been crying," Sesshomaru stated.

"Hysterically," Inu confirmed. "You've done a shit-load of damage. How could you think that Kagome would do something like that?"

"I-"

"Shut up. I don't want to hear it."

Sesshomaru looked his father in the eyes once again.

"She's staying with us. If I see you anywhere near there you'll regret it, I promise you. Got it?"

Sesshomaru sighed but gave no answer.

"Where's Naraku?" Inu asked seconds later.

"Packing," Sesshomaru said distastefully.

"You told him to leave?"

"Yes."

"You will have to return his money."

"I will do no such thing," Sesshomaru said through clenched teeth.

"Yes, you will. You're running a business here and even if he did something underhanded he deserves his money back if you're kicking him out."

Sesshomaru 'humphed' and started for the door.

"Remember what I told you. Stay away from Kagome," Inu warned as Sesshomaru walked through the open front door.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX** DIRT **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The following morning found the group out at the dirt ramp waiting to begin the practice for the day. They were going to remain on the pit bikes for the next few days until everyone could land solidly then they would be advancing to the eighties. Jakotsu looked to his right at the pathetic sight that was Koga and Inuyasha. They stood behind Sesshomaru as he talked with Inu about something or other that involved that asshole Naraku. They stood quietly with their head hung in defeat. Koga and Inuyasha both had been running at Sesshomaru's every beck and call without so much as a smart ass comment. They had yet to see Kagome and the only information that they could get out of Koga, when they managed to get him alone for two minutes, was that she had apparently stayed at Inu and Izayoi's the previous night.

Sesshomaru had been testier than ever. Shouting at them when they hadn't moved fast enough or hadn't been able to read his mind to figure out what they were supposed to do next. Inu finally left and with a determined scowl Jakotsu decided to be the first to ask what they were all wondering.

"So where is, and how's Kagome doing?"

Sesshomaru turned to him with a calculating glare.

"It's none of your concern," he answered with a cool edge to his voice.

"Have you apologized yet?" Jakotsu asked continuing to pry.

Sesshomaru opened his mouth to respond, slightly shocked that Jakotsu had the audacity to ask him such a question, but before he could actually say anything Jakotsu cut across him.

"You _were_ a total ass to her. You should be on your hands and knees begging for her forgiveness."

Both Koga and Inuyasha looked up after his comment with their mouths agape. Inuyasha was the first to recognize the signs of impending violence and jumped in front of Jakotsu.

"Didn't he say it's none of your concern?!" He shouted then quietly added, "If you know what's good for you you'll shut the hell up _now_."

Jakotsu smiled feeling lucky that he had managed to push as far as he had without becoming disemboweled. Just when Sesshomaru shoved Inuyasha out of the way so that he could grab Jakotsu, Kagome's sweet voice broke through the tense silence.

"Good morning guys," she said cheerfully causing everyone to wonder why she would be in such good spirits.

"Morning," everyone answered collectively.

"How's practice going?" She asked.

"Uh...we haven't started yet," Hiten answered wondering if he had missed something.

 _'Kagome and Sesshomaru had a knock down drag out fight and she's acting like every thing's fine.'_ He thought.

"How are you?" Jakotsu asked as he stepped away from Sesshomaru.

"Fine," she answered quickly. "So are you two going to get this started or what?" She asked Koga and Inuyasha.

"...um...it's not really our call," Koga answered hesitantly.

"Then who's is it?" She asked completely serious.

"Kagome-" Sesshomaru started.

"What are you waiting for? I came all the way out here to watch you guys practice and you're just sitting around doing nothing. Come on. Get to it," she said smiling, completely ignoring Sesshomaru.

Jakotsu smiled realizing Kagome's game. She was going to pretend that Sesshomaru didn't exist.

 _'Well that's one way to deal with it.'_ He thought.

"Alright, you heard the lady," Jakotsu said urging the group into some action. "I'm getting one of the bikes first."

Once the guys had taken off it left Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, Koga and Kagome alone, but after a quick glare promising death, Koga and Inuyasha quickly left as well.

"Kagome," Sesshomaru spoke softly as he stepped closer to her, making sure that he was still out of range if she decided to take another strike at him again.

She continued to watch Ginta and Hakkaku fight over the last pit bike, completely ignoring his presence.

"Look I know I was...maybe _slightly_ over reacting yesterday," He started to apologize but she didn't react in any way.

Feeling his anger rising he took a deep breath. He knew better than to pick another fight with her or at least that's what he was telling himself.

"Kagome, I'm sorry and-"

"Hey Jakotsu! Great job!" She hollered as Jakotsu landed his first back flip of the morning.

Sesshomaru reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Damn it! Listen to me."

She fought the urge to slap him or at the very least jerk her arm away from him. She couldn't give in now. With a 'huff' Sesshomaru let her go.

"So this is how it's going to be huh?" He asked not expecting an answer. "You're just going to tune me out and act as if I'm not here?" He turned away and started in the direction of the ramp.

"I see you don't appreciate being ignored any more than I do," Kagome said softly, her voice held an obvious sadness.

Sesshomaru stopped and turned back to face her.

"You're an ass, a possessive jerk, and you don't listen," she stated as she folder her arms across her chest.

"You're right," he answered without a hint of hesitation.

Who was he to argue? He decided that after being away from her for three days and not having her in his bed when he got home was something the he never wanted to suffer through again.

"I'm sorry," he said suddenly.

Kagome's eyes softened.

"Me too."

He stepped closer and scoffed.

"For what?"

"I shouldn't have slapped you," Kagome answered looking down at the dirt.

He pulled her into his arms and held her tight, upset that she tensed. That wasn't the reaction he'd been hoping for.

"I shouldn't have grabbed you."

She nodded her agreement and leaned into his embrace even though she had been mad as hell at him the night before. Spending the night in an empty bed knowing that he was just a few yards away was horrible.

"I see that you two have made up," Inu said as he approached them.

Neither of them answered, feeling that there was no need to. Inu smiled at Kagome.

"I guess this means that you'll be moving out?"

She laughed.

 _'Leave it to Inu to make a stinking joke.'_ She thought.

"Yeah, I missed my bed. No offense."

"None taken; just know that the next time he does something stupid there's a bed open for you at our place."

Kagome nodded and Sesshomaru growled.

"Don't give me that," Inu chuckled at Sesshomaru's reaction. "We both know that there _will_ be a next time. It's not a matter of _if;_ it's a matter of _when_ this next time will occur."

Sesshomaru fought the urge to roll his eyes and Kagome giggled.

"I suggest you start paying attention to your students," Inu said as he motioned towards the ramp.

"They've got the basics down. They just have to put all the pieces together," Kagome said with a smile.

Sesshomaru looked down at her with a look of curiosity. She pulled from his grasp and shrugged.

"What? You don't think that I've picked up on things while I've been watching?" She asked hoping that would cover her slight slip.

"Hn," was Sesshomaru's reply.

"Well, I guess that I'll get back to the house then," Inu said as he turned to leave once more. "Oh I almost forgot to ask. Were you still planning on going out to the lake?"

"I don't know. These guys are still on fifties. It wouldn't be wise to have any more unnecessary setbacks," Sesshomaru answered.

"Bah. Two days at the lake won't be a setback. Besides, you could take a ramp and the bicycles and practice flips into the lake," Inu suggested.

"Plus you promised me that I could drive the boat," Kagome added.

"I suppose I did," Sesshomaru answered with a hint of a smile. "Alright, I guess we'll leave in the morningifeveryone else agrees."

"Yay!" Kagome shouted throwing her arms around Inu.

"Whoa there," He laughed.

"Thanks for reminding me about the lake. I totally forgot all about it," Kagome said with a warm smile.

"It'll be nice to have the place quiet for a couple of days," Inu admitted. "You stinking kids have caused me more headaches in the last few days then I think I've had in the last four months."

* * *

Re-posted on: November 17th, 2016


	12. LIVING IN FAST FORWARD

**Chapter 12: LIVING IN FAST FORWARD**

"No! Not that way you dimwit!" Koga yelled at Inuyasha as his younger cousin attempted to back the truck and boat trailer down the loading ramp. "You're turning the wheel the wrong way! Haven't you ever backed up with a trailer before?"

"Shut the hell up! If you think that you can do it better get your ass in the truck!" Inuyasha yelled back. "I didn't ask to be the driver."

"Well after the last time we were here and you frickin' didn't undo the tie-downs on the boat, you've been banned from dealing with that part," Koga yelled back.

"And yet you trust him not to sink the truck," Bankotsu said completely amused with the entire situation.

"Shut the fuck up Ban!" Inuyasha roared from the cab of the truck.

"It was Sesshomaru's idea and it's his truck so it's not my problem if that happens," Koga answered laughing as the boat he was currently standing in suddenly rolled backwards. "Knock it off you little prick!"

Inuyasha was laughing too hard to answer at first. After coughing and managing to catch his breath he hollered an insincere, "Sorry! I hit the gas instead of the break."

"Yeah and I'm going to hit you upside the head when I _meant_ to swat at a fly," Koga grumbled.

Bankotsu shook his head and looked over in the opposite direction where Sesshomaru and the others were unloading the steel ramp they had brought.

 _'I guess being Wonder Boy has its advantages.'_ He thought regarding the fact that the rangers had allowed them to even bring the ramp into the camping area. If anyone else had showed up with it they would have laughed in their faces and sent them packing with a ticket just for thinking about it.

"Fuck!" Inuyasha yelled, bringing Bankotsu's attention back on the task at hand, directing where Inuyasha was supposed to be going.

"Inuyasha!" Koga yelled as Inuyasha threw the truck into 'drive' in an attempt to get it out of the water which it was sitting in almost up to the cab.

Instead of slowing pulling out of the water, Inuyasha panicked and slammed his foot down on the accelerator sending the truck jerking forward and the rear tiers spinning in the water as they tried to grip the slick concrete surface of the ramp. Koga was thrown off the back of the boat when the trailer was roughly pulled out from under it. Bankotsu was laughing so hard he almost went to his knees.

"Seriously what the fuck! I knew you were stupid, but _my God,_ do you not have a single brain cell?!" Koga yelled after he finished spitting out what must have been a gallon of lake water he had swallowed.

"If Bankotsu had been doing his job it wouldn't have happened!" Inuyasha yelled back as he put the truck in park and jumped from the cab.

"If you knew how the hell to drive it _wouldn't_ have happened!" Koga continued to yell as he swam for the boat, grabbing onto the ladder that hung off of the back.

"Look I've had just about enough of your shit. The damn boat's in the effin' lake so what's the problem?"

"The problem?! I'm fuckin' soaked!" Koga bellowed from the front of the boat where he now stood.

"So you took a swim a little sooner than you thought," Inuyasha said nonchalantly, feeling quite brave since Koga was stuck on the boat and he was standing safely on shore.

"You. Are. Dead," Koga growled doing a damn fine impression of Sesshomaru.

"Why don't you dock the boat before you kill him?" Bankotsu suggested when Koga looked like he was about to jump off of the boat.

"You're lucky you little punk," Koga said as he moved to start the engine of the boat.

He flopped down in the driver's seat and turned the key that was in the ignition. The engine kicked to life and Koga slowly made his way over to the dock that they had been assigned to for the next few days. Inuyasha and Bankotsu watched the entire time and once Koga had jumped out of the boat and had it secured, Inuyasha took off up the ramp towards the still running truck.

"If you want a ride you better get in now," Inuyasha yelled over his shoulder as he slammed the door shut.

"You better get going," Bankotsu laughed as Koga started running up the dock and leaped onto the concrete of the loading ramp. "He's in a real hurry to end your life."

"Shit!" Inuyasha cursed as he caught sight of Koga running towards the bed of the truck in the rear view mirror.

He sped off, the boat trailer rattling behind him as he drove towards the campsite. Maybe he could manage to get there and out of the truck before Koga caught up to him. Then all he had to do was hide behind Kagome. Yes _hide_. Living to see another day was far more important at the moment then worrying about what the others would say. Koga was in a serious foul mood and normally Inuyasha would have just fought back, but he also knew when Koga said he was going to kill him the way he did...he probably was. Kagome was the only one that would be able to stop him. Which brought up a whole other problem; getting past Sesshomaru to get to Kagome. Inuyasha pulled the truck to a stop in front of the toy hauler at their camp site and quickly had the engine shut off and was out of the truck sprinting towards the group he prayed held Kagome. He cautioned a look to his left and saw Koga barreling across the grass towards him.

"Fuck!" Inuyasha hissed as he pushed himself harder. "Ka...gome!"

The entire group turned to see Inuyasha running for all he was worth towards them. Kagome stepped forward worried that something was seriously wrong. Maybe someone had been hurt while they were launching the boat. This was Inuyasha and Koga they were talking about. Those two could manage to get hurt walking on an even surface, let alone add water and moving vehicles mix.

"Inuyasha? What's-" She was cut off when Sesshomaru grabbed her hand.

She turned to look at him then looked to whatever had caught his attention. It was Koga flying across the grass directly towards Inuyasha.

"Obviously he's done something stupid. It'd be best to stay out of it," Sesshomaru directed.

Kagome then noticed that Koga seemed to be soaking wet and could only imagine what had happened. She decided that Sesshomaru was right. Plus Koga was obviously out for vengeance the way that he was quickly catching up to Inuyasha. Koga sprinted the last ten feet and launched himself at the still running half-demon. With a surprised yelp Inuyasha tumbled to the ground with Koga on top of him. He somehow managed to get onto his back and attempted to block his face for the hit he knew would be coming. Koga roughly grabbed Inuyasha by his t-shirt and started slamming him against the ground.

"You...little...if you ever...I will _kill_ you." Koga managed through clenched teeth.

"Koga don't kill him!" Kagome shouted in a fearful tone.

With one last good slam, Koga let Inuyasha go and pushed himself to his feet. Inuyasha was sputtering and gasping for breath, but he _would_ live. Despite being as angry as he was about being wet, Koga never _really_ had an intention to kill the little twit.

"I'm not going to kill him. Yet," Koga said as Kagome walked towards them, followed by the others.

"What the hell did he do?" Ginta asked.

"The little bastard tried to sink Sess' truck, then he about drowned me when he took off back up the ramp knocking me off of the boat."

Jakotsu was the first to burst out laughing quickly followed by everyone except Sesshomaru.

"What happened to my truck?" He asked coolly.

"He backed the damn thing into the lake. It was just about up to the cab," Koga clarified.

"Your stupid truck's fine," Inuyasha grumbled as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. "I'm glad that I now know the truck rates higher than I do," he added with a scoff.

"It's worth more," Sesshomaru said without a hint of sarcasm.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome gasped before reaching out to swat at his arm.

"What?" He asked with a smirk. "I'm joking," he added after an intense glare from Kagome.

"You better be," she mumbled knowing that he could still hear her.

"It's like ninety degrees out here. Why the hell are you so upset about being wet?" Hiten asked as Koga attempted to wring the water from his shirt.

"Shut up," was Koga's only reply.

"Well the ramp's ready. Wha'dya say we test it out?" Hakkaku asked the group.

"Let's go get the bikes," Hiten suggested excitedly, walking off towards the toy hauler.

The others were quick to follow and Kagome helped Inuyasha off of the ground.

"Are you going to try it?" He suddenly asked.

"The ramp? Of course," she answered with a laugh.

"No. Not just the ramp. I mean _it_ ," he said in a much lower tone.

"Oh that. Probably not. No...definitely not," she corrected herself, then added. "At least not while he's around."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX** **DIRT** **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kagome pedaled for all that she was worth knowing that she had to have enough speed to get up the ramp she was quickly approaching. The slight downhill slope helped out a lot and now she knew why Sesshomaru had insisted on this campsite and placing the ramp where he did. It was going to make her life much less difficult if she wanted to play with the big boys and jump off of the ramp into the lake. For some reason this whole idea seemed slightly insane to her. It was totally different than going off of a ramp into a foam pit. What if her leg got caught somewhere on the bike and it pulled her under before she could get free? At least she didn't have to worry about her pants getting caught around anything, wearing a bikini definitely solved that problem. But that only brought on a whole new one. When she landed in the water at what she assumed would be a great deal of force, she would probably lose her top. Right then and there she decided that she was thinking _way_ too much. If it happened, it happened. So some of the guys got a free show? With that thought she decided that she'd just have to check to make sure that she was covered before she attempted to exit the lake.

Once in the air above the water, all thoughts stopped for her and by reflex she performed a Seat Grab before pulling herself back over the bike and landing in the cool water. Seconds passed before her head popped above the surface with her laughing. After taking several deep breaths she dove back under to retrieve the bicycle. Grabbing onto it with both hands and kicking off from the muddy bottom. She thanked her lucky stars that the bike was aluminum and basically weightless as she made her way to the surface once again. After a few more gasps for air she awkwardly swam towards the shore where Sesshomaru was waiting for her. He was standing in the water up to his waist and as soon as she was within reach, pulled the bike from her hands effortlessly.

"That was nice and simple," he said with a soft smile.

"It was my first run. I didn't want to scare away the competition," she joked.

Once again they were engaged in a battle to see who could throw down the best trick. Although this one was even less formal as their first had been. The winner would be decided by everyone, not by a collective score. Everyone was participating except for Sango and a moody Miroku. He had been against coming to the lake knowing that he wouldn't be participating in any of the activities. At least at the house he could hang out in the air conditioning and watch TV. Kagome jogged up the embankment and flopped down onto a beach towel that was spread out next to the blanket that the couple was sitting on.

"Great job Kags!" Sango said flashing her a bright smile.

"Thanks." Kagome chirped in return. "Hey, Miroku?"

"Yeah?" He answered somewhat flat, lying on his back looking unseeingly at the sky above them.

Kagome frowned. He'd become slightly depressed in the last couple of days and she was bound and determined to put an end to it.

"I've got an idea I'd like to run past you," she said with a grin.

"Really?" He asked peevishly. "Does it involve both you and my lovely girlfriend? As well as myself of course."

Kagome giggled; glad to see that he hadn't _totally_ lost his fun spirit.

"In fact it does," she answered in a seductive tone, deciding to play along.

"Mmm. I'm listening," Miroku said pushing himself up onto one elbow so that he could look at her. "What does this...idea of yours involve?"

"It involves plastic, lots of duct tape, and little clothing," Kagome answered after carefully choosing her words.

"Sounds like fun," he said with a wink and a smirk.

"Fantastic," Kagome said as she stood up. "Let me go get the stuff and I'll be right back. Then we can get started."

"We're going to do this out here in front of everyone?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Oh yes. Trust me. You'll enjoy it," she promised with a wink of her own before walking off towards the toy hauler.

"I don't even want to know what she's got planned," Sango said with a sigh.

"I can't wait to find out," Miroku said once again laying on his back.

Kagome returned a short few minutes later with her hands full. She was carrying several large sheets of clear plastic, a roll of saran wrap, and a roll of duct tape. She again plopped down onto her beach towel before moving to her knees and carefully lifting Miroku's casted leg up onto her thighs.

"Just what are you planning?" He asked when she began wrapping the sheets of plastic around his cast. "This isn't exactly what I had in mind."

"What did you have in mind?" Kagome asked innocently before running the roll of duct tape around the plastic she had just finished with.

"I...it wasn't this," he answered, now slightly concerned.

"I said it involved plastic and duct tape," Kagome reminded him with a giggle.

"And I seem to distinctly remember you mentioning little clothing," Miroku added.

"Well Sango and I are already in swim suits and you're in board shorts. I'd consider that _little_ clothing," she said as she moved onto wrapping the saran wrap around her previous work before adding yet more duct tape. "There you go. Now you should be water proof."

"Water proof?" He asked.

"Yeah, now you can go swimming with us," Kagome said happily as she stood up and reached down to grab his left arm. "Come on Sango get his other side."

Sango stood and grabbed his right arm, the two of them hoisting him up to his feet.

"Ladies, I really am flattered by all of your attention, but I have no desire to set foot in that lake."

"Oh no?" Kagome asked as she pouted.

"Come on Ookie-bear," Sango whined. "Come swimming with us."

"I thought that we discussed _not_ using that name outside of the bed room?" Miroku asked quietly.

Kagome giggled and couldn't resist.

"Please Ookie-bear? It won't be the same without you."

With a deep sigh Miroku relented.

"Alright ladies, but I'm only going in to appease you both. I hope that you'll be kind and remember that the next time _I_ would like something from either of you."

The girls nodded quickly, helping the less then agile man down the embankment and into the shallow water. Bankotsu sailed over head nearby and landed in the lake after preforming a Hart-Attack. He easily brought the bike to the surface, since he had never let go of it, and swam towards the small group that now had Miroku in up to his waist.

"I hope you've wrapped that thing in plastic," Bankotsu joked.

"I always do," Miroku answered with a smirk before he received a smack to the back of the head from Sango.

He simply laughed. Kagome over looked the perverted comment because of two reasons. She had no room to say anything as she had two minutes before been acting the very same way and the second was that she was just happy to see him doing something other than sitting on his ass feeling sorry for himself.

"Kags you're up after Hiten," Bankotsu informed her as he made his way closer to the shore.

"Okay," she answered, determined not to lose focus on where Miroku's hands were at all times.

"I think that I'm deep enough now that you can let go," Miroku said reluctantly.

The girls hesitantly pulled their hands away from his upper arms and let him stand on his own. He had to admit the water felt great and it was an even better feeling to be doing _something_ other than sitting around. He allowed the water to support his body and carefully began swimming, making sure not to kick with his injured leg. Sango soon joined him and Kagome got out of the water so that she could go grab a bike. Hiten was up which meant that she need to get to the top of the hill and be ready for her go. She wasn't sure what trick she would do. As she casually walked up the hill and stole the bike that Jakotsu was holding her mind raced.

 _'What's something that I_ _need_ _to practice? What would catch their attention? What the heck had Sess done? I was too busy with Miroku to watch. Great. He'll probably ask what I thought of it when he comes to get the bike from me.'_

"'Kay Kags. You're up," Koga said, suddenly standing next to her.

"Huh? Oh, right," she breathed.

She let the momentum of the hill get her started until she was about half way down then she began pedaling. Once she was up the ramp and into the air she pulled her body upwards, letting her feet hook under the handle bars. She had decided at the last second to do a Cliff Hanger since she was planning on putting one in her trick list for the Monster Games and she'd only done one once. After a graceful fall into the water she again dove down to retrieve the bike and started towards the shore where Sesshomaru was again waiting for her.

"You seem to be fond of that trick," he observed.

"I am. It's really fun. Oh but don't think for a second that it's replacing the Stripper," she added with a poke of her finger to his chest.

"That trick is a curse I'm forced to endure," he said unhappily, hanging his head.

"A curse? Please," Kagome snorted. "It's not a curse if you win with it."

"Hn."

Kagome giggled at Sesshomaru knowing he didn't really have a problem with the trick. They walked side by side back up to the top of the hill where Sesshomaru readied for his second go.

"What are you planning on doing?" Kagome asked.

"It's a surprise," he said with a grin.

"Oh no. I know that look. What have you invented now?" She asked in a worried tone.

"If I tell you it won't be a surprise now will it?" He asked softly. "It's nothing that's going to get me killed. I'm trying it into water. What's the worst that could happen?" He attempted to calm her down, but the cocky edge to his voice only made her more nervous.

"Just don't drown," she warned.

If he wanted to try something...he was going to try it, whether she protested it or not.

 _'Hypocritical punk.'_ She thought as he began to pedal down the hill.

By the time he got to the ramp he was going faster than anyone had all day and he looked like he was setting up for a back flip.

 _'That's an awful lot of speed for a normal back flip. I wonder what variant he's going to do.'_ Kagome thought as she continued to watch her man.

He rocketed up the ramp and into the air pulling his body and the bicycle into a flip without a variant of any kind. Then he pulled the bike around for a second time with a slight over rotation before landing in the water with a huge splash. It took a handful of seconds for everyone to realize what they had just witnessed. Sesshomaru had just done a _double_ back flip; the first that anyone had ever seen. Everyone began cheering and yelling. Kagome stood rooted to the spot until Bankotsu grabbed her arm.

"Did you see that?! That was unbelievable!" He yelled excitedly.

Kagome gave a weak laugh and an even weaker, "Yeah."

Not bothering to wonder why she didn't seem absolutely thrilled about what her boyfriend had just done, Bankotsu followed the others down the hill towards the shore where Sesshomaru was just barely getting out of the water. Kagome knew better than to be overly excited. If he was trying this trick out on a bicycle then the next step would be the motorcycle. She also knew that he would spend every waking moment working on the trick so that he could use it at the upcoming Monster Games in the best trick competition. She shook her head and put on the best smile she could manage at the moment.

 _'This is what he does. It's a_ huge _accomplishment. Be happy for him. What did you expect when you started dating a freestyler? All they do is push limits.'_ She told herself as she began down the hill.

Sesshomaru was already half way to her when she started down the hill and in a few more feet he had her tightly wrapped in his arms holding her off of the ground.

" _Please_ tell me you watched that time?" He asked unable to hold back the excitement in his voice.

"I sure did," she answered smiling.

Knowing by the tone of her voice she was worried about what would come next with the trick; he set her down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Kags I know what you're thinking. I just wanted to see if it was possible. I'm not going to do it on a dirt bike."

Her eyes brightened as well as her voice.

"Really?"

He smiled.

"Yeah."

"Good," she said before running her hand around the back of his neck to pull him to her for a congratulatory kiss.

"Hey!" Inuyasha shouted as he ran towards the couple. "When we get home are you going to start working on that into the pit?"

"No," Sesshomaru answered right away.

"Wh...what?! You're joking right?" Inuyasha asked flabbergasted.

"No. I'm not trying it on a dirt bike."

"Why the hell not?!" Inuyasha shouted.

"Because I don't feel the need to," Sesshomaru said, finally releasing Kagome from his hold so that he could turn towards his brother.

"Are you nuts?! You would win gold with that trick anywhere you went!" Inuyasha continued.

"Or he could break his neck," Kagome said quietly.

"...oh. I see," Inuyasha said slowly with a smirk. "She's got you whipped."

As much as Sesshomaru wanted to rip his brother's throat out for that last comment, he decided not to for the time being. He gave a soft chuckle.

"Little brother, there are _far_ worse things in this world."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXX** DIRT **XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kagome sat lounging across the large rear seat of the boat watching as Bankotsu wakeboarded behind them. Sesshomaru was driving and Koga sat next to him waiting for Bankotsu to fall so that he could have his turn.

"We should have set a time limit," Koga grumbled to himself.

"You'll get your turn," Kagome laughed, looking over at him through her sunglasses.

"He's been out there twenty friggin' minutes already," Koga continued.

"Don't be pissed because he's better then you," Kagome teased.

"Shut up you," Koga grumbled shooting her an angry look.

" _Kagome_ could wakeboard better then you," Sesshomaru said, finally entering the conversation.

"Hey!" Both Koga and Kagome protested.

Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder at a grumpy looking Kagome and smirked.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"You made that sound like _anything_ but a complement to me," Kagome growled.

"It wasn't meant to sound that way towards you," Sesshomaru apologized. "I merely meant that you could do better than Koga and you've never wakeboarded before."

"Oh," Kagome said looking over at Koga once more who looked furious.

"Get that asshole in here so that I can show you just how I _can_ wakeboard," Koga said as he stood up.

Sesshomaru slowed the boat down causing Bankotsu to lose all momentum and fall into the water on his back.

"Hey!" He shouted. "What the hell?!"

"Koga's decided that you're time's up and he needs to get all manly and prove that he can wakeboard," Kagome hollered back.

"Kagome!" Koga shouted as Sesshomaru laughed.

"What?" Kagome asked turning to him once again. "Isn't that what's going on?"

"No," Koga growled as he pulled his life preserver off of the back of his seat and slipped his arms in it before zipping it up.

Bankotsu had finally unclipped his feet from the wakeboard and swam towards the back of the boat where Kagome was waiting to grab the board from him. After he hauled himself into the boat Kagome threw a towel at him while she handed the board to Koga. Bankotsu unzipped his life vest and slipped into the chair that Koga had been in moments before. They all watched as Koga sat on the back of the boat while he locked his feet onto the board then slid off the back into the water. After a second of awkward floundering, he was on his back and ready to go. He wrapped one hand loosely around the rope that was attached to the handle he would eventually hold in his hands.

"Alright," he yelled and Sesshomaru slowly moved the boat forward.

Koga easily grabbed onto the handle when he finally got to the end of the rope and was up in a couple of seconds after that. Sesshomaru increased the speed of the boat and once there was a good wake going Koga began to show off, jumping from one wake to the other.

"He's such a nerd," Kagome sighed.

"Aren't you going to go Kags?" Bankotsu asked completely uninterested in watching Koga show off.

"Nope, I don't know how," she answered turning to look at him briefly before looking back at Koga.

"You're kidding? Really? I figured that you would be a pro."

Kagome shook her head while she laughed.

"Just because _he_ tries everything doesn't mean that I do," Kagome said with a smile and used her thumb to point at Sesshomaru.

"I beg to differ," Sesshomaru said after making a weird noise that didn't quite qualify as a snort. "She's far more adventurous then she's leading you to believe."

"Oh?" Bankotsu asked slyly, taking Sesshomaru's comment different then Sesshomaru had intended.

"Notuh. Get your dirty mind out of the gutter," Kaogme said pointing a finger at Bankotsu when she noticed his smirk. "Miroku's beginning to rub off on people."

"We'll if you're so _adventurous_ , then why don't you try it today?" Bankotsu asked.

"I'm okay. Really," she answered as she turned back just in time to watch Koga wipe out. "Oh jeez that looked like it hurt."

Bankotsu stood and walked to the back of the boat stopping to stand next to Kagome while Sesshomaru slowed the boat down to almost a stop.

"Koga! Bring it in! Kags wants to go," Bankotsu yelled through his cupped hands.

"We just got out here!" Koga yelled back.

"God he's dense," Bankotsu mumbled before shouting, "No not go _in_! She wants to wakeboard!"

"Huh?!"

"N...no I don't! Just keep going Koga," Kagome stammered as she stood up.

"Aw come on Kags, we've been trying to get you out here for over a year," Koga said as he made his way closer to the back of the boat.

"Just try it once," Bankotsu added as he grabbed her life vest that had been lying next to her on the seat.

As she protested and Koga climbed in the boat, Bankotsu helped her into her life vest and zipped it up.

"Okay you're ready," He said happily as he helped her to sit down on the back of the boat.

"No, really, I...I'm fine just hanging out," she continued to protest.

"Koga you drive," Sesshomaru said as he too came to the back of the boat.

"But...I wanted...aww. Fine," Koga said before turning towards the driver's seat.

Kagome looked over her shoulder at Sesshomaru as Bankotsu locked her feet onto the board.

"You'll be using a lot of knee to stay balanced," Bankotsu offered a tip.

"If you feel like you're going to go down, let go of the rope," Sesshomaru added.

Kagome nodded slowly and allowed Bankotsu to help her into the water. He held her hand and helped to pull her around onto her back. Sesshomaru grabbed onto the line that was tied to the boat and held it up from the water.

"Hold onto this until it gets to the handle then grab onto that. You'll start facing forward, but you'll have to turn your body sideways quickly. Tuck you knees into your chest as best you can and push up while the boat pulls you forward."

Kagome again nodded. She'd watched them wakeboard countless times, it was easy. Or at least that's the way they all made it look.

"Okay Koga. Slow," Sesshomaru directed.

Koga pushed the throttle forward, slowly increasing the boat's distance from Kagome. Soon she reached the end of the rope and grabbed the handle with a death grip. She had her knees tucked in and when the boat yanked her forward she went with the momentum and let the line pull her arms forward to the point that she felt her arms would be ripped off. She never managed to get up out of the water, but landed on her face when she finally let go of the rope.

"Oh, guess we should have told her to keep her arms close to her chest too," Bankotsu said casually.

"Are you alright?!" Sesshomaru shouted across the water.

After floundering for a moment, Kagome was once again on her back bobbing up and down with the waves from other boat's wakes.

"Yeah. Now what?" She asked.

"I see that she's determined," Bankotsu said with a grin.

"Now she'll be out there all day until she gets it," Koga said with a hint of amusement.

"Koga circle around so she can get the line again," Sesshomaru instructed.

Koga did as told and soon they were almost directly next to Kagome.

"So this time, keep your arms in tight. Don't let them get pulled out. At least not until you're up," Sesshomaru said as he tossed the line out towards her.

Kagome gave a determined nod and grabbed onto the line.

"Okay Koga," Bankotsu said and the boat slowly moved forward again.

Kagome tucked her knees and when she finally gripped the handle in her hands she held them tight against her chest, bracing for the pull. When it came she pushed up like she'd been told and once she was somewhat balanced she turned her body to the left so that she was now sideways. As the boat picked up momentum and she picked up speed she got a little braver and let her arms out.

 _'Wow. I'm doing this.'_ She thought with a smile.

"Good job Kags!" Bankotsu shouted from the boat, but it was impossible for her to hear him.

She continued to stay up while Koga did large circles around the lake. Soon her arms were sore and she realized that they hadn't told her what to do when she was done.

"Hey!" She yelled. "What do I do when I want to stop?"

"Let go!" Sesshomaru yelled back but again she couldn't hear what was said.

"What?!"

"Let go!" Sesshomaru half turned towards Koga. "Slow down so she doesn't face plant to hard when she finally figures it out."

Koga nodded and the boat slowed considerably. The rope went slack and Kagome let go of it. She used her built up momentum so she could continue to glide across the surface, but she soon lost her balance and fell to the side landing on her back. Koga pulled the boat around and drifted closer to Kagome's floating form. She was working on unclipping her feet when Sesshomaru jumped into the water next to her.

"Here," he offered as he unclipped her right foot. "It can be awkward."

"Thanks," she chirped. "That was really fun."

"See? Aren't you glad that you tried it?" Bankotsu asked from the boat.

"Yeah, now my arms are all sore," Kagome complained as she swam for the ladder.

"You did really well. Getting up and staying up on your second try is something you should be proud of," Sesshomaru said as he handed the wakeboard to Bankotsu.

Koga threw Kagome a towel and then moved from the driver's seat knowing Sesshomaru would want it back. Sesshomaru climbed up the ladder and into the boat before Kagome tossed him the towel she had been using.

"I'm totally starving now," Kagome said as she unzipped her life preserver.

"Imagine my surprise. You're always hungry," Koga said with a chuckle as Sesshomaru slipped into the driver's seat and pushed the throttle forward.

"Shut it you. You know what sounds good?" She asked as she sat down onto the seat next to Bankotsu.

"Haven't a clue," Koga answered.

"Guess," Kagome said with a smile.

"I have no idea," Koga said with a sigh.

"Come on...guess. I know you'll get it," Kagome said cheerfully.

"Uh...a sandwich?" Koga guessed.

"No," Kagome said dejectedly. "I thought for _sure_ that you would get it."

"There are so many things that you could have said. How was he supposed to guess _exactly_ what you wanted?" Bankotsu asked with a laugh.

"He's normally pretty good at that game," Kagome said still sounding upset that Koga hadn't guessed what she had wanted.

"What is it that you want Kags?" Koga finally asked.

"Hot dogs," she said beaming.

"Those do sound good actually," Bankotsu said his mind now also stuck on food. "Thanks a lot Kagome. Now _I'm_ hungry."

"Sorry," she said with an innocent smile.

 **XXXXXXDIRTXXXXXXX**

 **A/N:** Aww good times! Fun fact: I don't know that much about wakeboarding. Which I'm sure was _painfully_ obvious. I did try it once like a million years ago. I fell on my face 6 times in a row and then decided that I'd stick to sports that don't involve me trying to balance on water!

* * *

Re-posted on: December 8th 2016


	13. A NEW LEVEL OF INSANITY

**Chapter 13: A NEW LEVEL OF INSANITY**

"Guh! This is boring," Sango said with a dramatic wail.

Kagome couldn't help but laugh at her friend.

"Is there something else that you would like to do?" Kagome asked looking up from the latest issue of Racer X Illustrated.

"I don't know. Just...something. I've been sitting around all day everyday because of Miroku. Now he's hobbling around better so he's hanging out with the guys during practice and here I'm _still_ sitting around. It's all I did when we were at the lake even!"

"Hmm. Would you like to go for a ride?" Kagome asked as she was partially distracted by an article on Cary Hart.

"A ride? On what...bikes?" Sango asked somewhat interested in the idea.

"Sure. You could borrow one of Sesshomaru's two-fifties and we could ride around the property."

"M-kay," Sango said and with one graceful movement, she was off the couch and walking towards the stairs. "Let me go put on some shoes."

"Alright," Kagome said as she flipped through her magazine.

Sango returned a few minutes later.

"You know what. I don't know that I really want to ride," she said as she sat back down on the couch next to Kagome.

"Okay. Um...we could...how about we go out to the garage and check out the new quad?"

Sango laughed and swatted Kagome across the bill of her baseball cap causing Kagome to look up from her magazine once more.

"I think living with a bunch of guys has affected you."

"Hmph! It has not," Kagome defended herself. "It's supposed to be really cool. The quad I mean. Sesshomaru said it has top of the line _everything_. He hasn't even ridden it yet."

"Fine, let's go see this quad since you're drooling."

Kagome laughed.

"It's exciting when we get new toys."

"Again, I'm sticking with my comment from earlier. Living with a bunch of guys has affected you."

"You talk as if it's a disease," Kagome joked as she pushed herself off of the couch. "Come on. If the guys aren't around to watch us take off with it, we could take it out for a spin."

"Both of us?" Sango asked wary.

"Sure!"

"I thought that it's not safe to ride double?"

"Psh! Maybe if you don't know what you're doing. Do you want to go or not?" Kagome asked turning back to face Sango while placing a hand on her hip.

"Yeah, okay," Sango gave in.

"Awesome! This is going to rock! Now we've just got to hope that the guys aren't around."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXX** DIRT **XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"See?! It says right here and I quote, ' **Do not** ride with more than one person on the quad at any given time. It causes the vehicle to become unbalanced and may cause an accident, resulting in serious injury or even death.' That _does not_ sound good," Sango said her worried tone present again.

"Look. We're not going that far and we're not going to be doing anything overly crazy, so we'll be fine. Sesshomaru and I ride double all the time," Kagome assured her as she swung her leg over the seat of the quad, turned the key in the ignition, and pressed the start button. "Isn't this cool?! It even has a speedometer!"

"Yeah, just what I want on a quad. That way I'll know how fast we were going when we flipped over," Sango mumbled as she hopped onto the back of the quad, sliding up close to Kagome's back.

"Hush already! It's going to be fun. Now. Hang on!" Kagome yelled as she pressed the throttle, quickly shifted out of neutral and let out the clutch.

Sango 'eeped' and wrapped her arms around Kagome's stomach, holding on tight.

"Wait go back! I want a helmet!" Sango cried into Kagome's ear.

"Too late!" Kagome hollered back before letting out a crazed laugh.

"Oh Lord, please protect me from my crazy friend. Please let me live through this experience. Amen," Sango prayed loud enough for Kagome to hear, but she was too busy dodging trees to pay attention.

Kagome drove around the dirt track where she assumed that the guys were practicing since they hadn't been at the foam pit.

 _'No need to run into them on purpose.'_ She thought.

She took Sango around the property, showing her all the things that they hadn't gotten to yet. When she came to a long stretch of dirt road she stopped and craned her neck to look back at Sango.

"Whadaya say we see how fast this baby can go?" She asked with a huge grin.

Sango watched Kagome's eyes light up while she asked the question. She knew right then and there even if she wasn't up for it, they were going to be doing it.

 _'Might as well go out having fun I guess.'_ She thought before returning Kagome's mischievous grin.

"Okay."

"Yes! Hang on tight." Kagome said quickly as she whipped around and pressed her thumb to the throttle again.

Sango gripped Kagome's stomach tightly, but the faster they went the more fun she had and soon she wasn't hanging on at all.

"Whoo!" She yelled.

Kagome laughed and yelled out their current speed.

"We're at forty-five!"

They continued to build speed down the road sending up a cloud of dust behind them.

"Fifty-five!" Kagome yelled excitedly. "Sixty! Sixty-five!"

"How much faster can it go?!"

"I don't know. The speedometer goes up to ninety though! Seventy!"

Both of their eyes were watering now from the wind whipping at their faces. Kagome didn't realize that she was losing her hat until it blew off.

"Ah! My hat!" She cried as she let up on the throttle.

"It's okay!" Sango yelled holding Kagome's hat up in her fist so that Kagome could see it. "I got it! Keep going!"

They both broke out into laughter and Kagome again pushed the new quad for all it was worth. They quickly ran out of the smooth road and Kagome decided that going seventy-five on an uneven surface was asking for trouble, especially since they weren't wearing helmets. She brought the quad down to a safer speed of twenty miles per hour and continued down the trail that led back around to the house.

"That was so much fun!" Sango squealed. "I've never been that fast on a motorcycle before."

"And you were worried," Kagome teased. "I can't believe that you caught my hat!"

"I know. Me neither! Here." She handed Kagome her hat and Kagome put it back on, but backwards this time so that she wouldn't lose it again.

They took their time winding through the forest until they both decided that they'd had enough and headed back to the garage.

"Oh when we get there..." Kagome said suddenly in a serious tone.

"Yeah?"

"Don't say _anything_ about how fast we went okay? Sesshomaru will freak out if he knew. We're supposed to break this thing in slowly."

Sango laughed.

"You mean doing seventy isn't breaking it in slowly?" She teased.

"When we hit the end of the road we were doing seventy-five actually, and no. The fastest we went was twenty okay?"

"Twenty it is," Sango agreed.

"Now hopefully we can get back in without them seeing us without helmets."

"You said it would be okay!" Sango snapped with a poke to Kagome's ribs.

"Ow! It's not very smart to ride without one," Kagome admitted.

"Yeah...no kidding. Good thing we were only doing twenty."

The two laughed as they rode onto the asphalt of the driveway.

"Exactly," Kagome said.

As they neared the garage they noticed that _all_ the guys were there.

"Aw...crap." Kagome mumbled.

She stopped the quad before entering the garage and switched the key over to 'off'.

"And just where have you two been?" Jakotsu asked in a playful tone.

"We took the new toy out for a little jaunt," Kagome said with a smile being careful _not_ to look at Sesshomaru.

"Where are your helmets?" Sesshomaru asked immediately.

"Oh, well, uh...not on our heads?" Kagome stumbled over her words hoping that her joke would smooth things out a little.

"We can see that," Koga said with a smirk. "How fast were you going?"

"Not fast at all," Sango said quickly and nervously.

"I don't think we ever went over twenty," Kagome said after she stomped on Sango's foot.

"I shouldn't have to lecture you about wearing a helmet," Sesshomaru said sounding disappointed. "Also, I know you better than you think. There is absolutely no way that you never went over twenty."

Kagome gave a guilty smile and started picking at the rubber hand grips.

"Well...actually it was more like...thirty or so," she mumbled.

"Come on Kags," Inuyasha said with a chuckle. "How fast did you really get that thing going?"

She looked up with an excited expression glancing at Inuyasha for a moment before looking at Sesshomaru and frowning.

"Please tell me it wasn't over forty," Sesshomaru sighed.

"Okay," she said comically. "It wasn't over forty."

"Oh," Koga said slowly. "I bet you had her maxed out didn't you?"

"No," Kagome answered honestly.

"Sango, how fast were you two going?" Sesshomaru asked noticing how both Sango and Kagome fidgeted when he asked the question.

"Twenty-five?" Sango asked timidly.

"We've already established that you were doing at least forty," Jakotsu said wondering why the girls wouldn't just fess up to their speed already.

"Okay!" Kagome shouted suddenly before looking back to Sesshomaru. She gave a sigh. "You have to promise not to freak out. I _know_ it was stupid."

"Very stupid," Sesshomaru offered.

"Incredibly stupid," Kagome continued. "Before my hat blew off-"

"Oh this is going to be good," Koga interrupted.

Kagome shot him a glare before she attempted to continue once again.

"Before my hat blew off we were going...seventy-five," she said quietly.

"Seventy-five?!" Came the collective gasp from the group before them.

Kagome nodded and couldn't contain her smile any longer.

"Thank God your hat blew off," Miroku said with a nervous laugh.

"Sango caught it actually, so we could keep going, but we ran out of road," Kagome explained.

Sesshomaru shook his head and turned to go back into the garage.

"That went...well," Sango whispered in Kagome's ear.

"No, I'm going to pay for not taking care of his new toy," Kagome answered as she watched Sesshomaru grab one of the eighties off of a kickstand.

Sango looked at her friend curiously. There was an edge of excitement to her voice rather than disappointment.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXX** DIRT **XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Whoo-hoo! Eighties! Now we're getting somewhere," Hiten said as he pushed his designated motorcycle out of the garage and towards the foam pit.

"It feels like we've been here for weeks," Ginta commented.

"That's because we have been," Jakotsu remarked.

"If you would stop goofing off all the time, you could learn more," Inu commented from his position next to the ramp of the foam pit.

"Yeah, yeah; it's no fun if we're not getting a little side tracked," Bankotsu said with a grin.

"Less talking and more back flipping," Sesshomaru said as he walked from the garage to join the others. "I'll give you a few attempts each just to get a feel for the weight of the bike then we'll move onto the dirt."

"So soon?" Ginta asked.

"Yes. We've lost so much time that now we're playing catch up. I assume that you'll want to attempt back flips at the Monster Games?" Sesshomaru paused and noted that they all nodded. "Then you've seriously have your work cut out for you."

There was a collective groan from the group as Hiten, Hakkaku, and Bankotsu kick started their eighties.

"Sesshomaru the slave driver is back," Jakotsu mumbled under his breath.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXX** DIRT **XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sesshomaru slowly advanced on Kagome's retreating form. She knew better than to turn and run no matter _how much_ her instincts told her to. She took careful steps backwards across the carpeted floor of their bedroom as he took even slower steps forward. Judging by his fanged smirk he was enjoying their little game. Kagome's back hit the wall all too soon and she smiled nervously.

"Sess, I...please. I know you wanted-" she began to beg.

"I wanted what?" He asked smoothly as he boxed her in between his arms.

"I just wanted...I'm sorry," she apologized hoping that would fix the problem.

In a flash his lips were against her neck. As he gently drug a fang from just below her ear to the junction of her neck and shoulder she gasped. He smirked, satisfied with her reaction, as his hot breath moved back up to her ear.

"How sorry?" He breathed into her ear.

She had to fight not to moan and reply.

"...really sorry," was all that she could manage as he began a new assault of open mouthed kisses along her neck.

Her hands moved of their own accord from her sides to his as he slowly worked his way back up her neck to her jaw line.

"I...I know you wanted...to be the first but...but it...was too tempting," she stammered just before he captured her lips in a forceful kiss.

He pulled one hand from the wall and ran it down her side to rest on her hip. He tilted his head, deepening their kiss as his other hand moved to rest on her other hip before pulling her body closer to his. He pulled his lips from hers and again moved to worship her neck. Kagome gasped for breath and attempted to stay focused.

 _'How can he use this as a punishment?'_ She thought and almost wanted to laugh, but his hands slid under her shirt and she was again distracted.

He quickly pulled her shirt over her head, Kagome lifting her arms to speed up the process. He carelessly tossed the shirt over his shoulder before bending down slightly to kiss her newly exposed skin. She had been attempting to remove his shirt as well but as soon as his soft lips made contact with her heated flesh all she could do was pull him closer.

"...Sess..."

"Hm?" He asked pulling away from her slightly, enjoying the slightly flushed look she now had.

She had been planning on telling him to stop but when she looked at him that thought went right out the window and she attempted to pull him close once more. He chuckled at her haste but he was in no hurry. No, he was planning to drag this out for a _long_ time. It served her right for riding his quad before he had the chance to. He didn't comply to Kagome's silent wishes and she pouted, frustrated.

 _'Now I remember.'_ She though mentally slapping herself for falling in so easily.

His hands moved to the front of her jeans and he skillfully undid each button, cursing the inventor of 501's. His frustration never showed as he then pushed the jeans from her hips and slid them down her thighs, before helping her step out of them. He hadn't been paying attention before but now he noticed just how labored her breathing had become.

"You're all worked up," He commented in a low, husky voice.

She glared at him, angry over the fact that he felt the need to point it out that she was all hot and bothered and all he'd done thus far was remove her shirt and jeans. Another smirk and then he had her pressed firmly against the wall and he devoured her lips once more. She was so caught up in the passionate kiss that she failed to notice when he unhooked her bra or when he managed to remove it until his lips left hers and moved lower.

"Oh..." she gasped as he gently nipped at her flesh.

He smirked, a motion that was felt more than seen, when she arched into him. His hand slowly crept up her thigh and she bit her lip to stop herself from making anymore betraying sounds. It was bad enough that her body was reacting the way it was from the simplest of his touches. She didn't need to be fueling him on with encouraging moans on top of it. His clawed hand slid to the inside of her thigh and she gave a soft whimper. He gently bit down on one of her needy peaks and her breathing became even more erratic. She realized that he had pulled her in _again_ and she attempted to pull away but only succeeded in twisting her body against his, causing him to gasp at the sudden friction and her to whimper his name.

"...Sesshomaru."

He looked up into her passion hazed eyes and he knew he couldn't continue to tease her. When it came to Kagome, he'd come to realize, he just didn't have the will power to hold back. In an instant he had her on the bed and a couple of seconds later he joined her clad only in his boxers.

"How...can you do that?" Kagome breathed as he began a whole new assault on her breasts.

He didn't answer. There was no need. His hand moved from her breast, down her stomach, and rested just above the top of her panties. Kagome's hands weaved their way through his hair and her head fell back as her body arched into his eager mouth.

"Sess...homaru!" Kagome gasped desperately as she pressed her hips to his. "Please," she whimpered.

Only too happy to comply to her demand, Sesshomaru quickly relieved her of the small scrap of material that she called underwear, groaning as she rocked her hips against his.

"...Kags..." He mumbled as he worked to remove the last barrier between them, but his hands wouldn't cooperate at pulling his boxers off once she grabbed his ass in an effort to pull him closer.

"...please...want you...I..." She gasped the broken sentences as he pressed his body between her legs.

She pulled him down to her and they shared an awkward kiss before her head fell back against the bed. His lips pressed against her neck as he slammed himself down onto her. Kagome let out a wordless cry as slick skin met slick skin. He ground into her harder, Kagome's trembling and begging beneath him only spurring him on more. He hissed with pleasure as he continued his less than gentle pace. He kept her pressed into the bed not allowing her to lift her hips, keeping her still allowed him deeper penetration. Kagome pleaded underneath him her voice becoming hoarse from crying out. She clung to his back as he shifted his weight and she again cried out when he hit a spot that made her vision blur. His frenzied pace never slowed and he pushed them both towards their peak. His breath was coming out in short pants and Kagome tried to match his rhythm without success.

"Sess...please!" She gasped as he thrust into her sharply.

Kagome's breath caught in her throat as her body tensed. Sesshomaru continued to pump into her until she came down off her high, his mouth moving to her neglected breasts. His pace stayed steady as he pulled on one of her sensitive peaks. Kagome was pulled into another back-bending orgasm and dug her nails into his back as she wrapped her legs tightly around his hips. His body shuddered as he too was pulled into a wave of bliss. He collapsed half next to and half on top of her; Kagome loving the feeling of his weight against her small frame. They continued to take in shaky breaths attempting to calm their rapidly beating hearts.

"You're not...going to like this but...I'm going to steal the first ride on every new toy you get from now on," Kagome teased as she closed her eyes. Her body was still tingling with an amazing sensation.

"Is that so?" Sesshomaru asked turning his head to look at her.

She looked stunning as far as he was concerned. With a thin sheen of sweat on her body, the flush to her cheeks, her hair wild and untamed, and even the way her chest heaved as she fought to catch her breath.

"You may be able to persuade me to look the other way when you do so," He said after a moment.

Kagome shook her head, but never opened her eyes knowing that there was a devilish grin adorning his face.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXX** DIRT **XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"This is...insane," Jakotsu commented casually. "What is this going to achieve other than taking your aggression out on one another?"

"It's a test of strength," Koga said with a grin as he pulled his shirt off over his head.

"Are you sure it's not a test of your lack of brain cells?" Jakotsu asked.

"Shut up. You know if you weren't such a _girl_ , you'd be out there too," Inuyasha said as he pulled off his motorcycle boots.

"What pray tell, are the rules to this sadistic game of yours?" Jakotsu asked as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Well, two people are up in the tree stand above the track," Koga started. "They have paint ball guns with them-"

"They shoot at whoever is riding on the course," Inuyasha interrupted.

"I know the basics of it," Jakotsu said. "What are the _rules_?"

"Each person must strip down to their boxers. They can ride only in them, their boots, and their helmet. The one with the fastest time and the least amount of paint on their body after two laps is the winner," Sesshomaru explained as he undid the tie on his board shorts.

"Yeah, not playing that one," Jakotsu said with a false liveliness.

"Who's going to be up in the tree stand first?" Inuyasha asked as he piled his clothes on a nearby rock.

"Oh, I'll shoot at you guys," Jakotsu offered excitedly.

"Um...yeah, you sound a little _too_ excited about that prospect," Bankotsu said as he pulled his shirt off.

"Maybe you should go get one of the girls," Miroku suggested. "That way you won't have to climb in and out of the tree."

"Too bad you're all busted up or you could do it," Koga said as he jumped on his bike.

"Thank you for bringing it up," Miroku said coolly.

"Trust me you don't want Kagome up there," Inuyasha warned the group. "She's got a wicked aim."

"Jakotsu run over and get Kagome will ya?" Miroku asked with a bloodthirsty grin.

"Okay, I'll be right back," Jakotsu said suddenly liking this game.

Jakotsu returned a few minutes later with Kagome and Sango in tow. Kagome grabbed one of the two paint ball guns from the back of the Mule and turned to Sesshomaru.

"Paint ball trials huh?" She asked with a grin.

"Since they managed to each pull off a back flip on dirt today I thought that they deserved a break," Sesshomaru answered.

"Hmm. Getting pelted with paint balls in your underwear sure sounds like a good way to take a break," Jakotsu said sarcastically.

Kagome laughed as she and Jakotsu started towards the tree that held the tree stand.

"They do this all the time," She said before leaning in closer to Jakotsu. "I think they get off on the pain personally."

Jakotsu raised his eyebrows but said nothing as Kagome started to climb the tree. He quickly followed and once they were secure Kagome yelled down to the group, "Okay whoever is the first victim, step on up."

"Hey Miroku," Sesshomaru called before walking over to him. "Since you have nothing better to do, you can keep track of the times. Here's a stop watch."

He tossed a stop watch at Miroku who easily caught it. The guys all hopped on their dirt bikes, making quite an odd site as they were all wearing only their boxers and basic safety gear.

"If I didn't know better I'd say they all lost a bet," Sango mumbled to Miroku.

"It sure is a strange way to kill time," he commented as he readied the watch for the first run.

Hakkaku was the first to make a run and after Kagome hit him in the back with three shots and Jakotsu got him in the thigh, he rode off the track screaming that he was out.

"Son of a bitch that hurts!" He yelled once he stopped and pulled his helmet off.

"What did you think it was going to feel like?" Koga asked with a snigger.

"Damn! I'm going to have welts all over. This one's bleeding!" He shouted when he noticed the angry looking welt on his thigh.

"So I guess that's a no time for Hakkaku." Miroku said to Sango as he reset the watch in preparation for Koga's run.

Koga took off and swerved around the track, sacrificing time for less paint. The more he swerved the harder it was for Kagome and Jakotsu to pin him down and land good hits. With a time of six minutes and twenty-two seconds he ended up with two paint splotches on his back, one on his chest, and several down both arms. Hiten took to the track next and managed to beat Koga's time, but had twice the amount of paint adorning his exposed skin.

"God, I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight. My back is covered. My chest is covered. That doesn't leave me anyway to get comfortable."

"You could try sleeping standing up," Bankotsu offered with a laugh.

"Ha. Ha. Let's see how well you get through it then," Hiten challenged and Bankotsu took to the track.

He used Koga's strategy but less effectively and received a time of seven minutes and ten seconds as well as multiple hits from the paint ball guns.

"Man they're out for blood," Bankotsu said with a slight whimper as he pulled down the waist line of his paint covered boxers slightly, revealing an bright red welt on his hip.

"I told you that you didn't want Kagome to play," Inuyasha said laughing.

"Come on who's next?!" Jakotsu yelled from the safety of the tree.

Ginta decided to get his turn over with and started around the track. He received a time of six minutes and forty-seven seconds as well as a body full of paint.

He rode his bike to a stop in front of the others and Koga swore that he saw tears in his eyes.

"You gonna live?" Hakkaku asked his oddly silent friend.

"Yeah," Ginta gasped out. "I just...don't think I want to move just yet."

The others laughed and Inuyasha started towards the track. When his two laps were up he had achieved the fastest time thus far, five minutes and forty seconds. Too bad he was covered in paint literally from head to toe. He had several paint spots of his helmet and boots, but the funniest one by far was the one on the left cheek of his boxers. He killed the engine to his bike once he was back in the group and jumped off of it to turn towards the tree that held Kagome and Jakotsu.

"Which one of you ass-lickers hit me in the ass?!" He yelled harshly.

Kagome was laughing so hard she could barely form the sentence.

"...turn around...let's see what color the paint is."

Inuyasha did as told and when Kagome saw the bright yellow paint splatter she began laughing so hard that Jakotsu had to grab onto her to keep her from falling out of the tree.

"That's...that's...oh jeez! Yellow's Jakotsu's color!" She yelled down after a few seconds.

"Great!" Inuyasha huffed.

"He marked you," Sesshomaru said with a smirk.

"Shut the hell up!" Inuyasha yelled as he jerked his helmet off.

"Sesshomaru, you're the last one," Sango said as she attempted to stifle her laughter.

"Yeah, get your ass out there and get some nice welts like the rest of us," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Don't you dare go easy on him Kagome!" Bankotsu yelled.

"No worries of that!" She hollered back. "I owe him payback for last night."

"What happened last night?!" Inuyasha asked. "You two didn't have another fight did you?" He asked glaring at his brother accusingly.

"No. It wasn't anything like that," Kagome answered now wishing that she hadn't said anything.

"Then what happened?" Inuyasha continued to pry.

"Nothing. Okay? Drop it," Kagome answered before pulling her paint ball gun up to her shoulder to aim at Sesshomaru's barely clothed form.

Koga leaned over to Inuyasha with a grin as he was about to explain just what Kagome needed to get back at Sesshomaru for, since he had been able to hear practically the whole damn thing.

"Koga, I swear to God, if you don't shut your mouth right now...I'll shoot you again," Kagome warned in a tone that meant she wasn't fooling around.

Koga held his hands up submissively and grinned.

 _'How the hell did she know I was going to say anything? She's looking in the complete opposite direction.'_ He wondered as Sesshomaru started around the track.

True to her word Kagome didn't go easy on Sesshomaru and Jakotsu tried just as hard to hit the fast moving target. Sesshomaru joined the others after his two laps were up sporting a total of four paint splotches.

"What was my time?" He asked with a confident smile.

"Five minutes and six seconds," Miroku answered after taking a second look at the watch he held.

"Stupid asshole's the winner," Inuyasha mumbled as he moved to collect his clothing.

Kagome and Jakotsu joined the others after climbing down from the tree.

"So? Who's the winner?" Kagome asked as she tossed her paint ball gun into the back of the Mule.

"Wonder Boy," Bankotsu said unenthusiastically. "Are you surprised?"

"Not really," Kagome answered. "He normally wins. You guys better get some ice on those welts."

"Guess the ice machine is going to be working overtime today," Koga commented as he picked up his clothes and walked back over to his motorcycle.

"Wait. You have an ice machine? Like the kind in a restaurant?" Hiten asked.

"Mmhm. With as many injuries as those three get it was a wise investment," Kagome said as she slid onto the seat of the Mule next to Sango.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXX** DIRT **XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Ahh! It's cold!" Ginta hissed as Kagome pressed a zip lock baggie full of ice and a small amount of water against his back.

"Quit being a baby," Kagome teased. "Take it like a man."

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one sitting her freezing your skin off," Ginta grumbled.

Kagome shook her head and looked around the semicircle of chairs that took up the floor of the garage. All the guys were there with several baggies of ice pressed to their abused skin.

"Anyone else need any more?" Kagome asked.

After a collective mumbling of 'I'm good' and 'no thanks' she decided to sit down next to Sesshomaru and help him hold one of his two baggies.

"How long do you think you could keep your leg in ice water?" Bankotsu asked suddenly, looking at Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru glanced at him.

"Me?" He asked and Bankotsu nodded. "I don't know, as long as I want...a long time."

"Like how long?" Hiten asked.

Sesshomaru shrugged.

"Until I decided that I wanted to take it out," he answered flatly.

"Huh," Bankotsu grunted.

It was quiet for a few seconds before Inuyasha said what Kagome _knew_ was coming.

"I bet I could stay in longer then you."

Sesshomaru smirked.

"Youwouldn't last longer than a minute."

"Care to find out?" Inuyasha asked in a challenging tone.

"Get a bucket," Sesshomaru directed standing up and handing his other baggie to Kagome.

"How about you see which one of you can keep your _whole body_ in ice water the longest," Miroku suggested a wicked gleam in his eyes.

"Good idea," Kagome said sarcastically. "Seriously, don't encourage them please."

"We don't have anywhere that we could do that anyway," Inuyasha said.

"You are an idiot," Sesshomaru said in a board tone. "We can use the pit at the bottom of the slip 'n bleed."

"Oh good idea!" Inuyasha said excitedly.

"How are we going to get the ice over there?" Koga asked.

"Haul it in those tubs that we used to hold drinks when we were at the lake and load them into the Mule," Bankotsu offered.

Inuyasha nodded and began to walk across the garage to get the three large red tubs Bankotsu had been referring to. He carried them over to the Mule and tossed them in the back.

"Okay, now we've just got to fill them with ice," he said turning to face Sesshomaru.

The two jumped into the Mule and drove it out around to the back of the garage where the ice machine was. They quickly filled the three tubs and then made the trek over to the long forgotten pit in the backyard of Sesshomaru and Kagome's house. They quickly poured the three tubs of ice into the empty pit and Sesshomaru walked across the lawn to retrieve the hose.

"I'll fill the pit while you go get some more ice," Sesshomaru directed.

Inuyasha nodded and took off on his mission. Kagome and the others soon joined Sesshomaru in the backyard and waited for Inuyasha to return with more ice. They didn't have to wait long and soon the pit was roughly three feet deep in ice water.

"Alright, board shorts only. First to get out loses," Sesshomaru clarified the rules.

"What's the bet for?" Inuyasha asked.

Sesshomaru shrugged. "The usual?"

Inuyasha nodded and the two took off their tee shirts. Kagome looked from one brother to the other.

"You two are seriously going to do this," She stated more then asked.

"Yes," Sesshomaru answered.

"You know this could kill you?" She asked with a hint of nervousness.

"He isn't going to last long enough for me to have to worry about it," Sesshomaru answered confidently as he stepped down into the pit.

Inuyasha followed suit and they were both standing almost waist deep in the freezing water.

"On the count of three, we sit down," Sesshomaru said glancing at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha nodded silently willing himself to not cry out in pain.

"One, two...three," Sesshomaru said the last number slowly as he moved to kneel in the water.

The water now reached all the way up to their necks.

"Holy..." Inuyasha hissed.

Sesshomaru sat calmly and watched his younger brother struggle for his breath.

"Cold?" He taunted.

"N...no," Inuyasha answered through chattering teeth.

"This is so incredibly stupid you two," Kagome said as she folded her arms across her chest.

Two minutes passed before Inuyasha spoke.

"How long...are you going to stay in...here for?" He asked.

"How long are _you_ going to stay in?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Ten minutes," Inuyasha answered in a cocky tone.

"Then I'll be in here for eleven," Sesshomaru answered with a grin.

Inuyasha lasted another three minutes before he jumped up suddenly and scrambled out of the icy pit cursing up a storm.

"Fuck!" He hissed as he rubbed his hands up and down his arms vigorously.

Sesshomaru calmly stepped out of the pit and started towards the house.

"I'm going to dry off," he said to Kagome as he passed her. "Oh and Inuyasha," he said glancing over his shoulder at him. "You owe me a dollar."

"He doesn't even look phased," Ginta said in amazement as Sesshomaru continued towards the house.

"That bastard can't feel pain like a normal person," Inuyasha hissed through his chattering teeth.

"Well you're the dumb ass that thought you could beat him," Kagome said shaking her head. "And all for a damn dollar. I swear; you two are real idiots. Get in the house and hop into the guest shower. Make sure the water's hot. You need to get your body temperature back up."

Inuyasha allowed her to guide him towards the house with Sango following close behind.

"This cold to hot thing cannot be good for the body," She commented.

"No, but I'd like to see you attempt to talk these two idiots out of trying the stupid shit they do," Kagome said.

"It wasn't stupid," Inuyasha defended himself.

"Of course not; risking hypothermia to possibly beat your brother for a _dollar_ is absolutely intelligent," Kagome said as she shoved against his bruised back a little harder than necessary.

* * *

Re-posted on: December 8th, 2016


	14. SCRATCH THE SKY

**Chapter 14: SCRATCH THE SKY**

Sesshomaru leaned over the back of the couch and stared intently at Kagome. Her breathing was slow and shallow, her chest rising and falling with each breath as she slept. After a few seconds more, he nodded in satisfaction that she was indeed asleep and headed for the front door. He opened and closed it silently, taking special care that the lock didn't click into place. He stood on the opposite side for a short amount of time listing. Once he was satisfied that Kagome hadn't awoke, he started down the steps and across the driveway. He passed up the golf cart, deciding to walk instead. He continued on his silent mission to reach the garage where he hoped no one would be.

 _'At this time of night everyone should be asleep.'_ He silently mused as he neared his destination.

He walked through the open doorway, flipped on the lights, and made his way over to the work bench where there was a cordless phone. He glanced up at the clock on the wall. It read ten to midnight.

 _'I guess I'll test his 'call at any time' policy.'_ He thought as he began to dial a number that he'd long ago commented to memory.

On the fifth ring someone finally answered.

"This better be good," was the curt greeting he received.

"Taki?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Yes," was the bitter answer. "Someone better be dead."

"No one is dead," Sesshomaru said with a slight chuckle.

"Then what is it?" Taki bit out.

"This is Sesshomaru Taisho and-"

"Oh Sesshomaru! Why didn't you say that to begin with? What's up?"

"Sorry to call you so late. It's just that this was the only time that I could get the chance to."

"No need to apologize Sesshomaru. I gave you this number for a reason and I told you to call any time day or night if you needed something. So what can I do for you?"

"Well I'm going to be out in your area next week for a PR thing," Sesshomaru began to explain thankful that Taki wasn't upset with the late night call.

"Uh huh. I saw that memo on my desk this morning," Taki rambled.

"Anyway, I was thinking of staying in the area a few more days and I was hoping that I could use the compound."

"Sesshomaru, we built that thing for you; although you never use it. Just let us know what you need and when you'll be showing up and we'll have everything ready for you."

"Thanks. I'm going to need a couple of two-fifties."

"Not a problem. I'll have the boys at the factory send some over," Taki said immediately.

"There's no need for them to be shiny and new. They're probably going to take quite a few hits by the time I'm done with them."

"What are you up to?" Taki asked suddenly serious.

Taki been with Suzuki since Sesshomaru had signed up with them as his sponsor. Hell, he had been the one that promised Sesshomaru the moon _if_ he would sign with them. So knowing Sesshomaru as long as he had, he _knew_ when he was up to something.

"I'm going to try something big. That's all that I'm willing to tell you right now," Sesshomaru said in a tone that left no room for argument.

The line was silent for a moment before Taki replied, "Okay. Just know that I'll kick your ass if you get busted up and can't ride."

"Fair enough."

"So when can we expect you?"

"Most likely Thursday and Friday. It's important that no one is around. I don't want _anyone_ knowing I'm going to be there and I don't want _anyone_ around watching."

"Anything else? Hotel? Gear?"

"Some gear would be nice. Just basics though."

"You got it."

"Taki."

"Yes?"

"I don't want a production. I just need to work something out and I can't do it here."

"Right-o. It'll be you and me and possibly an ambulance."

Sesshomaru laughed.

"Thanks."

"Sure, anything for the Star. I'll see you Thursday and if you need anything else, don't hesitate to call."

"Thanks Taki."

"Yep."

Neither said good-bye, just simply hung up. Sesshomaru couldn't help but let out a sigh. He wasn't one to worry and he was worried. He needed to have as little people involved in this as possible. He didn't need anyone to know what he was up to just yet and _especially_ not Kagome.

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Kagome stood and waited for Sesshomaru while he tossed his duffel bag into the bed of Inu's truck.

"How long are you going to be gone this time?" She asked softly.

He turned around before pulling her to him.

"Five days."

"Why so long?" She practically whimpered.

"I have to do the appearances and then they want me to test some new bikes at the compound." It wasn't a _total_ lie.

Kagome nodded in understanding before she hugged him tighter.

"Sess, you'll miss your plane if we don't get going," Inu said from the other side of the truck.

Sesshomaru sighed and gave Kagome a quick kiss before pulling away and getting into the truck.

"Call me when your plane lands," Kagome instructed.

"Yes dear," Sesshomaru teased. "No camping," he added seriously.

"Yes dear," Kagome mocked before turning to go back into the house.

Inu slipped behind the steering wheel and put the truck into gear. After the short drive to get to the main road Inu decided it was time to speak up.

"Five days huh?" He asked while keeping his eyes on the road ahead.

"Yeah," Sesshomaru answered uninterested.

"So, three for your PR stuff and two for..."

"Testing," Sesshomaru finished.

"Hmm. Testing what, exactly?"

"New bikes."

The cab fell into a few moments of silence before Inu snapped, "Bull shit!"

"What?" Sesshomaru asked looking at his father like he'd lost his mind.

"They've never asked you down there for that kind of thing. Why didn't you say something sooner? This changed into a five day thing just two days ago. They would have told you about it way before then. You're hiding something," Inu accused, taking his eyes off of the road for a second to glance at Sesshomaru for his reaction.

Oddly enough Sesshomaru smirked.

"I didn't think that you would figure it out so soon," Sesshomaru admitted.

"I'm not as stupid as you think I am," Inu said with a smirk of his own. "What are you up to?"

" _Do not_ tell Kagome," Sesshomaru warned.

"Alright," Inu answered thinking how ironic it was that Sesshomaru and Kagome each had their little secrets.

"I told her that I wasn't going to try it," Sesshomaru started.

"The double?" Inu asked.

"...yes."

"Don't break your neck. I know for a _fact_ that you haven't tried it into a foam pit yet."

"Well I can't very well practice it at home now can I?" Sesshomaru said sarcastically.

"No. I guess not. You're not going to get another chance to practice it before the games either."

"I know," Sesshomaru said with a slight sigh, turning his attention to the passing scenery.

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"Okay Kags. This is the last opportunity to practice your back flips before the games because Sesshomaru won't be leaving again," Koga said as Kagome pulled on her helmet.

"I know," Kagome said with a sigh.

"Make every run count."

Kagome smiled and pulled on her gloves while she nodded. She was going to take a couple of runs into the foam pit just to refresh her memory on what she needed to do and then she would be headed out to the track to practice it on dirt. They had spent all morning moving the ramps around so that she could take different lines and get a feel for what she would need to do in any situation. Inu was expected back at any moment from taking Sesshomaru to the airport and she had promised him that she wouldn't start on the dirt until he returned.

With everyone watching she started towards the ramp for her first attempt at a back flip in just over a week. She rode up the ramp and pulled the bike around in a flip before landing into the foam pit.

"She makes that look so simple," Sango commented from the sidelines.

"It's not, let me assure you," Miroku said.

"Poor Miroku," Jakotsu teased. "You never even got to try did you?"

"No," Miroku answered with a sigh.

Kagome waited patiently while Inuyasha worked the winch to pull her out of the foam pit.

"That felt good," She shouted, smiling down at Koga who was waiting for her. "Can we move onto dirt?"

"Inu would kill me," Koga answered as he grabbed onto the handlebars of her bike.

"Come on. He could have gotten held up or something."

"You've got five days to practice. I don't think you waiting a few more minutes is going to make that big of a dent in your time."

"Ugh!" Kagome huffed as she slouched. "Fine."

Instead of riding the bike back to the other end, Kagome hopped off and started pushing it so that she could walk with Koga.

"I have an important question for you," she said after the first few steps.

"Uh huh."

"I'm trying to decide on when the best time would be to tell Sesshomaru that I'm entered."

"Don't tell him," Koga said with a grin.

"He's eventually going to find out," Kagome said in an annoyed tone. What was with these guys and putting everything off until the last moment?

"But why put yourself through the torment of another fight so soon," Koga said rationally. Sure, he didn't want to see the two of them fight, but he was slightly more concerned with what Sesshomaru would do to _him_ when he found out about their training sessions.

"Yeah, that last one sucked," Kagome admitted, sounding depressed before quickly snapping out of it. "I'll probably have to stay at Inu and Izayoi's for a whole week when he finds out about the games."

She and Koga laughed, both knowing it could very well be a reality in the near future. The two walked up to the group and Kagome leaned against her bike; balancing the weight against her stomach.

"Aren't you going to practice it a few more times?" Sango asked concerned.

"Yeah...in a minute," Kagome answered with a thoughtful look on her face. "I need to come up with a trick list so that I can practice it."

Bankotsu nodded before nudging Jakotsu.

"Yeah you do that. That way we'll know what you're going to pull beforehand," he teased.

"We're not in the same division," Kagome said in a mocking tone.

"Ginta and Hakkaku are though," Hiten said with a smirk.

"We won't watch if you don't want us to," Ginta offered.

"It's okay," Kagome said with a smile. "I don't mind. Just because I practice certain tricks doesn't mean that I'm for sure going to do them in the finals."

"What are you thinking of pulling?" Hiten asked.

"For starters, a back flip."

"Well that went without saying," Jakotsu said with a grin.

"I know I want to try a Cliff Hanger."

"You need to practice that into the pit then," Koga directed.

It was a smart idea seeing as how she had never attempted one on a dirt bike. Kagome nodded before continuing with her desired trick list.

"I'd like to do a Rock Solid and a Shaolin too. Which, I have never done before," she added after receiving a look from Koga.

"Why don't you pick tricks that you know you can do?" Sango asked.

"That's no fun," Kagome pouted. "This is probably going to be my one and only competition, I want people to remember it."

"There's no reason that they wouldn't," Jakotsu said seriously. "You're going to be the first girl to do this."

Kagome shrugged.

"I just want a good final round. I'll stick to the basics for the first two and then get crazy in the third," she said with a smile.

"What are you going to wear?" Jakotsu asked with a big grin.

"The same gear I always wear?" Kagome said slowly.

"Come on, this is the Monster Games we're talking about. You're going to be making history. You should be wearing something spectacular," Jakotsu chided.

"Why don't you call whoever is Sesshomaru's sponsor? I'm sure that they would make you something one of a kind," Sango suggested.

"Good idea," Jakotsu said excitedly. "It's Thor right?"

Kagome nodded.

"Just call them up and explain the situation. They'd be _crazy_ to turn you down," Jakotsu continued.

Kagome nodded again, thinking it wasn't such a bad idea.

"Okay enough doddling. Now you've got three other tricks to practice before Inu gets here," Koga said suddenly.

"Yes master," Kagome teased as she swung her leg over the seat of her bike.

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"Yay! Finally!" Kagome cheered when Inu walked into the living room of her house.

"I'm happy to see you too," Inu joked.

"I've been waiting for hours for you to come home so that I could go play in the dirt," Kagome said as she grabbed his arm and started dragging him towards the front door.

"I just got here. Can't I sit down for a minute?!" He asked.

"You've been sitting in your truck for hours. Standing will do you some good," Kagome said with a famine giggle as she continued out the door.

With a sigh Inu gave in and followed her willingly. Kagome had parked her bike at the bottom of the steps of the porch so that she could get on it as soon as Inu showed up. She grabbed her helmet off of the handlebars and pulled it on while she swung her leg over the seat.

"Wanna ride?" She asked as she kick started it.

"No," Inu chuckled. "I'll take the golf cart. Where is everyone?"

"I think they're playing video games over at the guest house," Kagome shouted over the exhaust of her bike.

Inu nodded and Kagome started across the driveway towards the woods that held the track she would be practicing on, Inu following close behind in the golf cart.

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"Good Kags!" Inu cheered as Kagome passed him with her bike pinned in fifth gear.

She had just completed a One Handed Seat Grab and was tracking towards another ramp for her next trick. She performed a Stalefish off of that ramp and a Stripper off of the one after it. She came around and hit another ramp preforming a Shaolin and Inu watched mesmerized. He had never seen her even _practice_ that trick. Nor had he ever seen her attempt the Rock Solid she did next. She looped around and hit the same ramp this time doing a Turntable; which consisted of doing a Bar Hop and pulling both of her legs to one side, pulling her left hand off of the handlebars and then remounting the bike. She rocketed towards her next ramp and set herself up for a back flip which she landed a little less than perfect, but it was still progress. She took her time in finding her way back to Inu's side, pulling her goggles off as she went. When she finally reached him, she killed the engine of her bike and looked up at him as she panted for breath.

"Well?" She asked hopeful.

"I...I think you have a very good chance of winning this thing."

"You're just saying that," Kagome said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"No, really. When did you learn the Rock Solid and the Shaolin?" He asked.

"This afternoon while I was waiting for you."

Inu shook his head.

"If you continue like this we'll be switching you to the open division."

Kagome laughed.

"Such flattery," she teased. "I just want to go out there and not look like a fool."

"Trust me. There's no need to worry about that."

They fell into a comfortable silence for a moment before Inu moved towards the golf cart.

"Let's call it a day huh? You're doing well. No need to burn yourself out. We can pick it up again tomorrow."

Kagome nodded in agreement and kick started her bike before the two headed back towards the houses.

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Kagome waited patiently while the phone on the other end of the line rang.

"Yeah?" Came a deep voice from the other end.

"Hi. Is this Kyoya Euda with Thor?" Kagome asked.

"Yep. Who's this?"

"Kagome Higurashi. I'm Sesshomaru Taisho's-"

"Oh _that_ Kagome. What can I do for you?"

"Um, well you see...I'm going to be riding in the upcoming Monster Games and-"

"Really?! Wow. That's...wow."

"Yeah," Kagome said slightly annoyed with how he continued to cut her off. "I was hoping that you could make me something _special_ to wear."

"Of course! What do you have in mind?"

Kagome laughed.

"I want something that's absolutely hideous."

"...excuse me?" Kyoya asked, unsure of where she was going with this.

"I want something that's going to make every magazine curse my name when they have to run pictures of me in it. I want ESPN to be hounding me to change the entire day."

"Oh I see. Okay, it shouldn't be a problem. I'll have someone get working on ideas right away and fax them to you."

"Thank you. Oh and could you please not say anything to Sesshomaru if you happen to talk to him. He doesn't know about it yet."

"Sure thing, I'll have some ideas for you by tomorrow night."

"Sounds great. Thanks again!"

"You're welcome. Talk to you tomorrow."

"Bye," Kagome chirped before she hung up the phone, a smirk plastered on her face.

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Sesshomaru pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and scrolled down the long list of contacts until he came to the name he was looking for. He hit 'send' and waited while it rang.

"Yeah?" Answered the man on the other end of the line.

"Kyoya? It's Sesshomaru."

"Sess! I just literally got off the phone with your lovely girlfriend."

"Kagome? What were you talking with her for?" Sesshomaru asked.

 _'Shit! I wasn't supposed to say anything.'_ Kyoya mentally reprimanded himself.

"Oh she wanted some new gear made for her. No biggie. Now what can I do for you?" He asked quickly.

Sesshomaru didn't answer; he was too busy wondering why Kagome would want new gear. She'd never asked for something custom before.

"Sesshomaru?" Kyoya asked pulling Sesshomaru from his thoughts.

"Yeah, I need something for the Monster Games; mostly for Best Trick."

"Do you have something in mind?"

"Actually I do. I'm out of town right now, but when I get home I'll fax you the details of what I'm thinking of. I just wanted to give you a heads up."

"Thanks. I'll look forward to your fax then."

"Alright. I'll talk to you later in the week then?"

"Sounds good. Later."

"Yeah," Sesshomaru said before pressing the 'end' button on the face of his cell phone.

He sat for a few minutes trying to come up with a reason that Kagome would want custom gear before deciding to call her. He punched in the number to the house before hitting 'send' and waiting once again while the phone rang.

"Hi! You've reached The Wonder Boy and Kagome. Please leave a message and we'll call you back!"

Sesshomaru smiled at the sound of Kagome's sweet voice.

"Kags call me back," He said before quickly adding. "And change that damn message."

He pressed 'end' before dialing her cell phone number. It rang three times before Kagome answered.

"Hey!" She greeted. "How's it going? Working hard?"

"Not at the moment," Sesshomaru answered. "How are things there?"

"Quiet. The guys are playing video games."

"Hm. I just got off the phone with Kyoya from Thor. He said that he had talked to you."

 _'Crap!'_ Kagome thought.

"Yeah. Just a few minutes ago actually."

"What about?"

"I asked him if he would make me some gear," She answered as if it was something she did all the time.

"Yeah? For what? I've tried to get you to get custom gear forever."

"I don't know. I just thought it would be cool to have something new and one of a kind. Do you want me to call and cancel?"

"No. I was just curious is all."

"Oh. Well is there anything else? I was just about to get in the shower," Kagome said knowing it would get him off of the topic of her gear.

"No I guess not. I'll call you tomorrow," Sesshomaru said imagining her wrapped in nothing but a towel.

"Okay. I'll talk to you then!"

"Yeah. Bye Kags."

"Bye!" She said sweetly before flipping her phone shut.

The line went dead and Sesshomaru hit 'end'. He laid back on the bed in his hotel room his thoughts currently on Kagome slipping into the shower. The several questions he still had about the gear brushed aside for those more... _important_ thoughts.

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Sesshomaru walked through the gate of the compound glad that the surrounding fence was eight feet high and covered in black plastic. He walked across the slightly sandy soil, passing several ramps and headed towards the back of the large building that held Taki's office. He slipped through the heavy steel door and walked down a long hallway. He passed several open office doors until he came to the one that he was seeking. The door was propped open just slightly and Sesshomaru knocked lightly twice before entering the office. Taki peered over the top of his lap top with the full intent of yelling at whoever had waltzed into his office without being invited.

"Hey! Oh...Sesshomaru. You're early," He said as he stood.

"Yeah, I got done earlier than I had anticipated. I only have the next couple days to work on this so getting started is in my best interest," Sesshomaru said as Taki reached forward to shake his hand.

"So now that you're here, are you going to tell me _what_ you're here to work on?"

"It's what you've been after me to do since I threw my first back flip in a competition," Sesshomaru said, smirking when Taki's face lit up.

"You're going to attempt a double?" He asked in awe.

"Yes," Sesshomaru answered with a nod.

"But...you said that you couldn't work on it at home. Does that mean that you haven't been practicing it into a foam pit?"

"I worked on it a little last week when I was at the lake."

"So you've never attempted it on a dirt bike?!"

"No, just a bicycle half a dozen times."

"You're...totally insane! You're going to get yourself killed," Taki half shouted, sincerely concerned with Sesshomaru's wellbeing.

"I'll be fine," Sesshomaru said with a slightly disappointed tone. "I've decided that I'm doing it and I don't have that much time to work on it. The games are two weeks away and this is my only opportunity to work on it before then."

Taki nodded in silent understanding. He knew when Sesshomaru set his mind to something there was nothing that _anyone_ could say to him to change it.

"The bikes are out back. I got three for you. If we need more I can have them by tomorrow. I had the guys over at Fox send over some gear for you. You said you needed the basics and that's what I got you. Boots, helmet, goggles, and gloves. If you want something else I'll send one of the interns over to the local bike shop to pick it up."

"No. It sounds like what you have will work just fine."

Taki nodded again and started for the door.

"I sure hope you know what you're doing. I'm glad I told everyone to leave early today. You practicing doubles would have started quite the uproar."

"I know," Sesshomaru laughed. "Thanks."

"Yeah, just make sure that you don't bash your brains in okay? You need to actually _compete_ in the games."

"I'll do my best. Suffering another concussion isn't high on my priority list."

Taki and Sesshomaru shared a laugh as they walked towards the steel door that Sesshomaru had entered the building though. Taki stopped next to the door where there was a couch that had Sesshomaru's new gear sitting on it. He picked up the boots and handed them to Sesshomaru.

"Are you sure you don't want some pants or something?" Taki asked as Sesshomaru sat down to put on the boots.

"Na," He answered as he slipped off his shoes.

"Shorts aren't the most intelligent choice to ride in," Taki commented.

"Attempting your first double back flip on a motorcycle onto dirt isn't a very intelligent choice either," Sesshomaru joked as he pulled on the boots.

He grabbed the helmet, gloves, and goggles before standing again and moving towards the door.

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Sesshomaru stood in between the take-off ramp and the large mound of dirt where he would hopefully be landing. Taki watched in silence as he held Sesshomaru's bike, allowing him to think. With a deep breath Sesshomaru pulled on his helmet and turned around. He tightened the velcro closers on his gloves and grabbed the goggles off of the handlebars, pulling them over his helmet and moving them over his eyes. He then took the bike from Taki and swung a leg over it.

"Are you sure that you want to try this now? The sun's setting, won't that make it hard to judge distance and what not?"

"It makes no difference," Sesshomaru said calmly.

Taki opened his mouth to protest once again, but then decided that it would be a waste of his breath. Sesshomaru kick-started the bike on the fifth attempt; cursing its newness and wishing that he could be using his own bike. He sat for a few minutes more letting it idol and warm up before he let out the clutch and rolled forward. He circled the compound several times before taking his first ramp and pulling the bike around in a back flip. He landed easily and decided that the one jump had been more than enough of a warm up. He circled around again and hit the ramp with a lot more speed than he had the previous time. He pulled the bike around once and then twice, but over-rotated and landed on the front wheel. He and the bike went tumbling down the face of the landing-ramp. The bike ended up on its side roughly ten feet from where Sesshomaru landed. He was face down but quickly rolled himself onto his back with a grunt.

"Damn it," He hissed.

Before Taki could even reach him, Sesshomaru had pushed himself off of the ground and was in the process of picking up his bike.

"Okay," Sesshomaru breathed when Taki got closer. "I over-rotated. I'm okay," he added when Taki gripped his shoulder.

"You're friggin' insane. That was close though," Taki said without hiding the smile on his face.

Sesshomaru nodded and after checking that all the important parts were still on the bike and in working order, he threw a leg over the seat and kick-started it once again. He took off, spraying dirt behind him as he whipped around to take the line again. Taki moved out of the way and stood back to watch. Sesshomaru took off up the ramp and pulled the bike around again. He cursed when he realized that he was making the same damn mistake and over-rotated the bike. He landed in almost the same position, but this time the bike landed on his leg.

"Ugh!" He shouted as he worked to move the heavy bike off of him.

He finally achieved his goal and jumped to his feet; hoping to walk off the stabbing pain in his ankle.

"Son of a bitch, this sucks! What I wouldn't give for a foam pit," Sesshomaru cursed as he continued to walk back and forth in front of his bike.

"You didn't break anything did you?" Taki asked as he got closer.

"No. Nothing's broken but I need to get back on the bike before the pain really sets in," Sesshomaru said mostly to himself as he bent down to pick up the bike.

Taki shook his head as Sesshomaru kick started the bike and rode off in the direction of the ramp.

"He's going to get himself killed one of these days," Taki commented out loud as he watched Sesshomaru sailed through the air again.

Ten crashes later, that would have taken out any lesser rider, the sun was just about to dip down below the mountains and leave the compound in darkness, save for the one security light near the building. Sesshomaru had just picked himself up off of the ground, not even bothering to dust himself off anymore, and jumped onto the second of his three bikes. His eighth crash had bent the forks and handlebars so badly on his first bike that he couldn't use it anymore.

"Sesshomaru, this is crazy. There isn't even enough light to see the ramp anymore. Call it a day. Go back to your hotel and take a shower. You look like you _are_ dirt for Pete's sake," Taki said from his position next to Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru considered his friend's words as he fought to catch his breath and reel in his temper from not being able to complete the trick. With a sigh he slumped over the handlebars.

"You're right."

"I was right a half hour ago when I said the same thing," Taki teased. "Park the bike and I'll give you a ride back to your room."

"That's alright. I can drive," Sesshomaru insisted as he got off of the bike and began pushing it towards the building.

He leaned the bike against the side of the building and then pulled his helmet off. He handed it to Taki as well as his gloves before following him into the building. He grabbed his shoes, but decided against changing into them. Taki tossed the helmet onto the couch and the two walked down the hall towards the main entrance of the building. Once they were outside again and Taki had locked the door, Sesshomaru spoke up.

"Thanks again Taki."

"For what? Letting you beat the crap out of yourself?" He joked.

"Yeah," Sesshomaru agreed as he ran a hand through is hair that was plastered to his head with sweat. "So I guess I'll see you in the morning then."

"What time?"

Sesshomaru shrugged.

"Nine?"

"Nine it is. Get some sleep," Taki instructed as he headed towards his car.

Sesshomaru smiled before he started towards his rental car.

* * *

 **Turntable:** When the rider performs a Bar Hop (putting both feet between the handlebars) then moves both feet to one side, letting go of the handlebars with one hand, then remounting the bike.

* * *

Re-posted on: December 8th, 2016


	15. RESOLVE

**Chapter 15: RESOLVE**

"Oh my God. That...is the _funniest_ thing I've ever seen!" Kagome squealed loudly before covering her mouth and looking around the room to make sure that she hadn't caught anyone's attention with her outburst.

She had been looking over the faxes that had been sent to her by Kyoya that afternoon. She had flipped through three before coming to the one that had caused her outburst.

"What's so funny Kags?" Koga yelled from the kitchen.

"Uh...nothing," she mumbled quickly.

"You shouted 'it's the funniest thing I've ever seen' and now you expect me to believe it's nothing?" He asked as he walked into the living room.

"Yeah, really, it's nothing. Honest," she assured him as she turned to look at him.

"Hmm," he said not convinced. "What are you looking at?" He asked pointing to the several pages of paper she held.

"Oh. These? They're nothing, just something Kyoya sent over," She said hoping he wouldn't ask any more questions.

"Kyoya from Thor? What's he sending youstuff for?" He asked as he moved around the couch to stand in front of her. "Is it for your gear for the Monster Games?"

"...yes," she grumbled. "I wanted to keep what I was going to wear a secret-"

"Fork over the pictures Kags," Koga demanded as he sat down next to her.

Kagome sighed and handed him the papers. Koga shuffled through several of them before he looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"These are the ugliest things I've ever seen. Why the hell is he sending you shit like this?"

"That's the point," Kagome growled as she plucked the papers from his grasp.

Koga continued to look at her with a curiosity, waiting for her to explain.

"This is what I asked for," she said finally. "I told him I wanted it to be horrible."

"Why?!" Koga asked shocked.

"I think it will be hilarious when I do my rounds dressed in something like this," she held up one of the pages to emphasize her point.

"Millions of people will see you in that; that competition's going to be shown live on ESPN. Then there will be the highlights on all of the other lesser channels. Not to mention all of the magazines the photos will be printed in. You really want _that_ many people seeing you in something that looks like a two year old designed it?"

"Yes," Kagome said with confidence. "I can hear all of the major producers and editors screaming at me for wearing something so hideous." She started laughing.

Koga shook his head and grabbed the papers from her again. He looked through them carefully before pulling one out and handing it to her.

"Go with this one," he said as she moved to take the page from him.

"Really?" She asked shocked that he had picked the one she had found so funny to begin with.

"It's the least hideous out of all of them."

"That's funny. It's the one that I was leaning towards," she commented with a smile.

He pushed himself off of the couch.

"Sometimes I'm scared to know what's going on in that pretty little head of yours," he sighed with a disapproving shake of his head.

"You should be," she warned with a wiggle of her eyebrows and a haunting laugh.

Koga chuckled before leaving the room.

"You better have a back-up plan. Sesshomaru's not going to let you ride in that," Koga gave a warning of his own.

"Ooo don't tell him okay? It needs to be a surprise. In fact, don't tell anyone. Please?" She whined.

"Yeah...right. You owe me," he said as he entered the kitchen. Then added with a smirk, "Again."

 **...DIRT...**

As Taki pulled into the parking lot of his office he spotted Sesshomaru sitting on the pavement next to the door. He quickly parked and locked his car then walked the short distance to where Sesshomaru was waiting.

"I thought that we agreed on nine o'clock?" Taki asked as he readied the key for the door.

"We did. Sitting around my hotel room was driving me insane," Sesshomaru answered as he stood up.

"So you decided to sit around here instead? How long have you been here?"

"Maybe twenty minutes."

Taki nodded as he unlocked the door and opened it.

"What's the game plan for today?" He asked.

"The same as yesterday; ride until I get it down."

They walked through the main lobby and down the hall towards Taki's office.

"Just curious," Taki said as they entered his office and he stepped around his desk. "What are you going to do if you _don't_ get this down? Do you have another trick in mind for the competition?"

"I'm surprised by your lack of confidence in my skill," Sesshomaru said coolly. "It's the double or nothing. I'll either land it and win or crash and burn trying to."

"It's not your skills I'm concerned with," Taki said with a chuckle. "It's the pull of gravity that makes this trick seem impossible on a dirt bike."

"It's possible. I just haven't fine-tuned it yet. I'll bet I'll land it with in five runs today."

"Five? You took thirteen last night and crashed every time."

"It was a trial and error period. Today is the day that I land it."

Taki stared at Sesshomaru for a moment. He seemed quite confident and he had his usual cocky grin. Taki shook his head.

"I sure hope so."

 **...DIRT...**

Sesshomaru and his dirt bike, the third of the three he had been given, slammed against the ground. Sesshomaru tumbled like a rag doll for ten feet before he finally rolled to a stop on his back. He lay there for a moment blinking at the cloudless sky.

"This...sucks," he said bitterly before turning his head and spitting dirt from his mouth. "What I wouldn't give for the foam pit at home right now."

He rolled onto his side and pushed himself up onto slightly unstable legs. His body had taken a ton of punishment in the last two days and he knew he wouldn't be able to take much more. There was only so much his youkai blood could heal without him taking a rest. After a few seconds he felt that he was okay enough to walk and shuffled towards his bike. It wasn't in much better shape than he was. The fenders had snapped off several wrecks ago. The handlebars were tweaked causing them to always point slightly to the right. Sesshomaru bent down and lifted the clutch leaver that was now dangling from the bike, attached only by its cable.

"Well that's it I guess," he said with a sigh.

Sesshomaru had managed to trash three new, straight out of the factory motorcycles in less than two days. He didn't bother to pick the bike up; it was useless until the clutch leaver was replaced. He stood up and turned around to face Taki who was leaning against the building, standing in the shade. Taki gave up running to Sesshomaru's side nine wrecks ago.

"Is that one dead too?" He asked casually as Sesshomaru approached him, taking off his helmet as he walked.

"Yeah, it's scrap now," Sesshomaru replied sounding as if he was talking about a ten dollar toy, not a ten _thousand_ dollar dirt bike.

"So what's the plan now?" Taki asked slightly hesitant.

"To get another bike I suppose. Or fix the ones that are here," Sesshomaru answered as he leaned against the wall before sliding down it so he was sitting in the dirt.

"I'm not sure what you've managed to break off of that last one, but I can tell you right now that the other two will not be in working order for some time. I'm still not sure how you achieved putting a hole in the gas tank on the one and the frame is so badly bent on the other..."

"The last one just needs a new clutch leaver and while we're at it, we might as well change out those bars."

"That's a relatively easy fix. Why don't you go get some lunch and I'll have someone come over and swap them out for you?"

Sesshomaru nodded but didn't stand.

"Need help?" Taki teased reaching his hand out towards him.

"No. Just...give me a second," Sesshomaru growled.

Sitting there in the shade sounded a whole lot better at the moment then getting up and driving somewhere to eat.

 **...DIRT...**

"And just where are you headed?" Miroku asked as Kagome attempted to sneak out of the house through the back door.

She stopped and turned to face him, holding her motorcycle boots behind her back, hoping he hadn't seen them. She gave him a dazzling smile that screamed 'I'm up to something'.

"I was just going to go check that there's plenty of...laundry detergent and dryer sheets over at the guest house," she answered quickly.

"Uh huh," Miroku said with a chuckle. "And doing so requires your boots?"

Her smile faded and her shoulders slumped as she brought her arm holding the boots in front of her.

"I see Inu told you to keep an eye on me," she said with disappointment as she set the boots down near the back door.

"He said you would try this," Miroku answered with a grin. "It's not a good idea for you to practice without him or Koga around."

"That's just stupid," Kagome spat. "I'm perfectly capable of practicing without either of them here. Besides, _you're_ all around so if something did happen, you could take care of it."

"I'm simply following orders," Miroku said with a sigh.

"It wasn't a very good idea for him to leave you in charge of stopping me. I could easily out run you," She said with a grin.

"Ouch," Miroku said in mock hurt. "He set up a backup plan if you decided to take that route. Jakotsu and Hiten are waiting out in the garage to stop you."

Kagome gave an overly-dramatic wail as she stomped towards the stairs.

"This isn't fair! You're all ganging up on me! All I want to do is go practice a little bit."

"You'll just have to wait a little while longer until Inu and Koga get back from town!" Miroku yelled after her.

 **...DIRT...**

"You're not focused," Inu said flatly.

Kagome eyed him through her goggles as she slouched over the handlebars of her dirt bike. She had just nearly gone down for the third time after starting the day's practice. She was slightly shaking and struggling to catch her breath. Still, she refused to admit she was freaked out just a little bit at the prospect of breaking her neck. She knew she needed to concentrate, but it was proving to be difficult for her.

"I suggest you get your mind into what you're doing," Inu directed.

"You're going to end up with some serious damage," Koga added.

"Thanks for the morale boost," Kagome muttered under her breath.

"Get back out there and try again," Inu ordered as he folded his arms across his chest.

Kagome nodded with determination before she kick-started her bike and rode around the track until she came to the ramp she wanted to hit. She lined herself up before shifting through the gears to achieve enough speed to pull off a back flip. She easily pulled the bike around but pulled her head out of the flip a little sooner than she should have, causing her to under-rotate and land awkwardly. The bike bounced and she almost went over the handlebars. Nothing but her determination keeping her on the bike as it bounce and bogged down in the softer dirt to the right of the landing ramp. After the brief battle to keep the bike and herself upright, Kagome made the decision to bail.

"Don't bail!" Inu shouted as Kagome fell to the ground.

With a sigh he began to jog towards Kagome's crumpled form, flanked by Koga. Koga went for the bike once he saw Kagome sit up on her own while Inu broke down to a walk and took his time in reaching her side.

"That was the stupidest thing I think I've seen thus far," Inu commented as he reached down to help her to her feet.

"I know. I shouldn't have bailed," Kagome admitted in defeat.

"I speak from experience. When you bail, you get hurt. _Never_ bail."

Kagome nodded and took her bike from Koga once he walked it over to her.

"What's gotten into you today?" Inu asked concerned. "You're somewhere else."

Kagome shrugged.

"It's nothing. I just need to stop pulling out of the flip early," Kagome said mostly trying to convince herself.

"No," Inu said forcefully.

Kagome looked up at him curiously.

"You're done for today. You have no business being out here if you're not out here one hundred percent."

"I am. I'm just having a rough start," she protested. "I need the practice."

"You're going to need a body cast if you keep this up."

"You're over-reacting. I'm fine. I'm here. I'm concentrating. I'm _going_ to practice."

Inu took in a deep breath to calm himself.

 _'Damn she can be stubborn.'_ He thought as he looked to Koga for support.

Koga shrugged.

"Maybe hitting the ground a few times will knock some sense into her," he suggested looking from Inu to Kagome.

"Now there's a solid plan," Inu scoffed. "Let's let her beat herself to a bloody pulp."

"You have a better idea?!" Koga shot back.

"Hey!" Kagome broke in. "I'm _going_ to practice. Are you going to help me or not?"

Inu shook his head as he turned around and began to walk away mumbling about 'damn youth'.

"Inu?" Kagome asked.

"I can't very well leave you out here by yourself now can I? Stop bailing and _commit_!" He shouted over his shoulder.

"Thank you!" Kagome shouted after him.

Koga held her bike while she kick-started it.

"No more crashing. Just land the damn flip already," Koga instructed before roughly slapping the back of her helmet, causing her head to whip forward.

"Jerk!" She hissed as she straightened her goggles.

She again wondered around the track searching for the ramp she wanted. After deciding on one, she steadily gained speed towards it deciding to skip the back flip and do another trick she needed to work on. Once she was air-born she let her body pull away from the bike and hooked the toes of her boots under the handlebars. She stretched her upper body out, throwing her hands straight above her head. She held herself there as long as she dared before pulling her body back onto the bike and landing. Inu and Koga both looked at each other smiling.

"It's about damn time," Inu said calmly.

"Her Cliffhangers are getting really nice. She's unbeatable with that kind of extension," Koga observed.

Kagome didn't stop and headed for another ramp. With the completed trick and a good landing under her belt she decided to go for the back flip again. As she reached the end of the ramp she threw her weight forward slightly before pushing herself back, almost sitting on the seat as she pulled the bike around in the flip. The trick was as flawless as she could have hoped for and she had a relatively smooth landing. Other than when the rear wheel clipped the top of the landing ramp. The bike kicked forward but it wasn't anything that she couldn't handle and once she felt stable, she had the throttle pinned as she headed for her next ramp. She sped up and off of the ramp, pulling her feet off of the foot pegs and doing a Superman before she pulled her hands from the grips turning the trick into a Rock Solid. She floated above the bike for several seconds spotting her landing. When she reached out to grab onto the handlebars they were just beyond her reach.

 _'Shit! I held it too long!'_ She screamed in her head as she began to panic.

Her arms reached out grabbing a fender before the pull of gravity sucked the bike out of her grasp and her fingers lost what little grip they had. She screamed as she watched the unforgiving ground rapidly rising up to meet her. She flailed her arms and legs, knowing it wouldn't slow her down or make the impact hurt any less, but she hoped it would anyway.

"Oh...shit!" Inu yelled as he ran forward.

"Fuck!" Koga cursed as he sprinted behind Inu towards Kagome as she was still falling.

Kagome somehow managed to twist her body as she fell and landed half on her back and half on her shoulders, her legs actually touching the ground behind her head before they fell to the ground.

"Oh fuck. Oh, holly fuck," Koga breathed as he and Inu came to a stop next to Kagome's side.

"Kagome!" Inu yelled harshly as he knelt down next to her head.

The first thing he noticed was that she was unconscious.

"This isn't good," He said quietly as his fingers started to work loose the strap on her helmet.

"God she must have fallen from like fifty feet," Koga hissed as he too fell to his knees on Kagome's other side.

Inu carefully slid Kagome's helmet off taking care not to move her head at all.

"Do you have your cell phone?" Inu asked as he bent over Kagome's face listing for her breathing.

"Yeah," Koga answered before pulling it out of his shorts pocket and flipping it open. "Nine-one-one?" He asked.

Inu looked up at him with an 'I can't believe that you just asked that' look. Koga nodded before dialing and handing the phone to Inu. It rang several times before a dispatcher picked up.

"Nine-one-one What's your emergency?" Came a woman's voice.

"My...daughter in-law...just had a serious motorcycle accident. She fell from about forty feet onto her back and she's unconscious," Inu explained in a calm tone despite the worry he felt.

He didn't miss Koga's smirk when he described Kagome as his daughter in-law as he waited for the woman to respond.

"Is she breathing?" The woman asked.

"Yes. I removed her helmet," Inu said thinking it may be important.

"How long has she been unconscious?"

"A couple of minutes."

"Okay, I need your address sir so that I can send an ambulance."

"It's six-two-seven-nine Stillwater Canyon."

"Cross street?"

"Highway 199."

"The paramedics are on their way. Don't move her and if she regains consciousness keep her still until they arrive."

"...okay."

"Would you like me to stay on the line with you until they arrive?"

"No, that's alright."

"Alright, sir."

"Bye," Inu said absently as he flipped the phone shut and set it on the ground next to Kagome's helmet.

"What do we do?" Koga asked as they both stared down at Kagome.

"Nothing, keep her still. They're on their way."

They sat and watched Kagome, both silently willing her to wake up as the minutes ticked by.

"I shouldn't have let her continue," Inu said suddenly.

Koga looked up at him not knowing what to say. Inu shook his head before switching his worried gaze from Kagome to Koga.

"Run over to the house and tell Izayoi what happened so she doesn't freak out when the paramedics get here," he directed. "She'll be fine," he added when he noticed Koga's hesitation.

With a nod Koga jumped up from his knees and started jogging off of the track and in the direction of the houses.

 **...DIRT...**

Sesshomaru sat astride his newly fixed dirt bike twisting the throttle every few seconds as he envisioned his run. To anyone watching they would think he was possibly having some type of mild seizure or something. He would flip his head back once then twice while he quietly talked to himself.

"Commit. Stop bailing."

Taki sat against the wall watching Sesshomaru prepare for his forty-something attempt at a double backflip. His attention was pulled from him however when Sesshomaru's cell phone began ringing from where Sesshomaru had tossed it onto the lawn chair next to him. He picked it up and read the caller ID.

"Sesshomaru!" He hollered.

Sesshomaru turned his head towards what he assumed had been Taki yelling. Taki held up his phone and Sesshomaru realized that he had a call.

"Answer it for me!" He yelled over the bike's popping exhaust.

Taki nodded before hitting 'answer' and putting the phone up to his ear.

"Sesshomaru's phone," he said.

"Where's Sesshomaru?"

"He's...busy at the moment," Taki answered looking up to confirm that Sesshomaru hadn't attempted his run yet.

"Is this Taki?"

"Yeah."

"This is Inu. Sesshomaru's father."

"Yeah! How's it going?" Taki asked conversationally.

"Not well at the moment. Is Sesshomaru riding?"

"Yeah."

"Has he landed it?" Inu asked, slightly curious.

"I assume you're asking about the double and the answer is no. Not yet. Although, he's about to take another shot at it right now. That's why I answered his phone."

"It's an emergency. You need to get him for me right now," Inu said urgently.

"...okay," Taki said as he stood up. "Sess!" He yelled.

Sesshomaru turned, seriously considering killing Taki for interrupting him _again_. He waited as Taki jogged over and held his cell phone out to him.

"It's your dad," Taki said loudly.

Sesshomaru sighed before killing the engine and unstrapping his helmet, pulling it above his ears but not off of his head completely. He then pulled the phone from Taki's outstretched hand before putting it to his ear.

"What's up?" He asked.

"Sesshomaru..." Inu paused, knowing how his son would react. "It's Kagome. She crashed really bad today-"

"What?!" Sesshomaru roared, cutting his father off from giving him any further information.

"She's okay. They just want to keep her here at the hospital for observation for a few days."

"What happened?!" Sesshomaru asked, still in disbelief.

"She was practicing a Rock Solid and held it too long. She couldn't get back on the bike; she fell from practically the top of her arc, somewhere between forty and fifty feet."

"What _the fuck_ was she doing a Rock Solid for?! And not into a foam pit?!"

"I'll explain things when you get here. I've called and gotten you on a flight that leaves in about an hour. Koga will be at the airport waiting for you and he'll bring you straight here."

"...she's okay though?" Sesshomaru asked slightly more in control of his temper.

"Yes," Inu half lied, not wanting to freak Sesshomaru out further. "Just get catch your flight and get here."

"I'm on my way," Sesshomaru said before pressing 'end'.

* * *

Re-posted on: December 22nd, 2016


	16. SHAKEN

**Chapter 16: Shaken**

"What happened?" Sesshomaru asked softly while he and Inu stood over Kagome as she slept.

She looked peaceful despite being in a hospital bed with the beeping of the heart monitor and the IV drip alarm going off.

"Let's step out into the hall," Inu suggested just as quietly.

He opened the door to the private room to find a surprised looking nurse on the other side of it.

"Oh, Inu," she said with a thankful sigh. "I went to open the door and it moved before I could touch it."

"Sorry we surprised you Yuki," Inu apologized.

"It's okay. I noticed her alarm was going off."

"I think she needs a new round of pain meds."

"She's still sleeping," Yuki stated with a sigh when she looked past Inu into the room. "I better wake her up soon."

"Can you give us twenty minutes before you do?" Inu asked with a warm smile.

She looked down at her watch before smiling back at him.

"She's only been asleep about an hour. Twenty minutes won't be a problem."

"Thanks Yuki," Inu said as he started down the hall with Sesshomaru at his side.

"Are you going to tell me what happened and how badly she's hurt?" Sesshomaru asked as they continued down the hall towards the waiting room where the others were.

"I guess I'll start by telling you how it happened, even though you basically know that part already. She was practicing tricks out on the track and she seemed unfocused. I asked her to call it a day, but she was a stubborn mule about it in true Kagome fashion. She had done a beautiful Cliffhanger and set her second ramp with a Rock Solid. She held off of the bike too long and couldn't get herself back on it. She landed at the base of the table top she should have landed the trick on. She fell from an exceptional height; considering that and how hard that ground is, it's a miracle that she's not in worse shape than she is."

Sesshomaru listened to Inu's account of the wreck in silence. They sat next to each other, but away from the rest of the group in the plastic chairs of the waiting room.

"How badly is she hurt?" Sesshomaru asked finally.

"She has a concussion, obviously, but it isn't that intense of one. She has several cracked ribs and her back is a little messed up."

"What's a little?" Sesshomaru asked in an annoyed tone. Why couldn't his father just get to the point?

"She has some fluid built up along her spine."

"Is it serious?"

"They don't think so. They said it should dissipate on its own and if it doesn't, it's fairly simple to drain it."

Sesshomaru continued to stare unseeingly at the carpet at his feet as he processed what Inu had told him.

"The good news is they think that she'll still be able to compete in two weeks. We may have to tape her ribs up, but that's no big deal. Of course this is all barring that her symptoms from the concussion don't get any worse."

Sesshomaru nodded then turned his head to look up at his father.

"Compete?" He asked, confused.

Inu nodded.

"The Monster Games, novice freestyle division."

Sesshomaru laughed. "You're joking."

"No, I am not. I sent in her entries and I've been helping her practice."

"Why didn't anyone discuss this with me?! There's no way I'm letting her ride in those games."

"Sesshomaru you can't hold her back. She has the drive and talent to do this. It would be a big mistake for you to not support her." An awkward silence fell between the father and son before Inu added, "It's no different than how she supports you when you do something she knows could kill you. Speaking of that, you've been keeping your own secret from her about the double. She asked you not to do it and you told her that you wouldn't. Yet there you were the last two days practicing it."

"That's not even the same situation," Sesshomaru mumbled, not believing his own words. "Besides, she shouldn't be riding now with all of her injuries."

"I agree. I will stand behind you one hundred percent _if_ the doctors don't clear her."

Sesshomaru frowned. He didn't like it when Kagome teamed up with his father. He somehow always managed to lose in those situations.

"Yuki needs to wake her up to make sure that she's okay. It would be good if you were in the room when she does," Inu advised before he stood and moved to the vacant seat next to Koga.

Sesshomaru rose from his chair and headed down the hallway towards Kagome's room. Inu leaned over to Koga.

"Kags will be staying with your aunt and me for the next few days. If I know your cousin, he's going to do a fantastic job of pissing her off in the next few minutes."

 **XOXOXOXOXDIRTXOXOXOXOX**

Sesshomaru walked into Kagome's hospital room for the second time that night to find her asleep. The nurse, Yuki, was checking the drip on her IV and turned when he closed the door behind him.

"Good timing," she said happily before leaned over Kagome's sleeping form.

She gently laid her hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"Kagome? Time to wake up honey," Yuki said as she as she squeezed Kagome's shoulder. "Come on Kagome, you know the drill. Wake up."

With a groggy moan, Kagome's eyes slowly opened.

"Sorry sweetie, but we've got to check that you still remember who you are and all that important stuff," Yuki apologized softly.

Kagome gave a weak smile and closed her eyes again.

"What's your name?" Yuki asked.

"Kagome Higurashi," Kagome answered.

"What day is it?"

"Uh...Friday. I think."

"Yep it's still Friday night. Do you know where you are?"

"In a hospital."

"Can you tell me why?"

"Because I failed at my attempt to fly."

"Close enough," Yuki laughed. "Do you recognize the gentleman at the door?"

Kagome opened her eyes as she turned her head towards the doorway and smiled. It seemed like hours while she simply just stared at him, with Sesshomaru becoming more nervous with each second.

"That's the guy I told Inu not to tell that I was in here," she finally answered.

Yuki looked from Kagome to Sesshomaru before giving him a sympathetic smile. In the few hours that Kagome had been there, they had talked in detail about her over-protective boyfriend.

"I'm sure he's quite worried about you, so I'll let the two of you talk okay? Press your button if you need me," Yuki said as she made a quick dash for the door.

Once she was gone Sesshomaru stepped closer to the bed.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he leaned over her to place a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Broken," she answered with a weak smile.

"I've been there before," he commented with a light chuckle.

"You can sit on the bed if you want," Kagome offered.

"Oh..." He took the hint and sat down.

They fell into a slightly awkward silence. Kagome was waiting for Sesshomaru to lecture her on her stupidity while Sesshomaru was trying to think of anything to say _other_ than that.

Deciding that she couldn't stand it any longer, Kagome asked, "So how did the testing go?"

"Fine, Taki had three bikes for me to try out." It wasn't a complete lie.

"You look like you took a beating yourself," she pointed out.

Sesshomaru looked down to take in his appearance. He hadn't had time to shower before grabbing his things and racing to the airport to catch his flight, so he simply changed his clothes. Dirt still clung to his skin giving him a fantastic fake tan look.

"I went down once or twice," he replied while he quickly added in his head, _'or fifty times.'_

"Sorry you had to come back early. Inu freaked out and insisted that he call you to tell you to come home."

"I'm glad he did. He said that you we're working on a Rock Solid?"

"Yeah, I _did_ try it into the foam pit first," Kagome said quickly, anticipating a scolding. "I just held it too long. I won't make that mistake again."

"No...I guess you wouldn't."

Kagome looked at him with what could only be described as shock. She had expected him to tell her that she would never be attempting a Rock Solid again. Hell, she was expecting him to say she could never _ride_ again.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked suddenly. "Are you suffering from a concussion too?"

"Huh?" Sesshomaru asked unsure of where she was going with this.

"Normally you'd be jumping down my throat about how you were never going to let me ride again. You're being way too calm. Some thing's not right with you. You act like you've got something to be in trouble about yourself, like you've been cheating or something," she paused her rant suddenly and gasped before looking at him with wide eyes. "Oh my God, you've been practicing the double haven't you?"

"Kagome-" Sesshomaru scoffed, hoping to brush her accusation away.

"Haven't you?!" She asked more forcefully.

"No," he lied.

He felt sick as soon as the word left his mouth. Kagome watched him intently. He was up to something, she just wasn't totally sure on what that something was yet.

"Dad said he's signed you up for the games," Sesshomaru said trying to change the subject off of himself.

"...yeah," Kagome sighed. "I think I might scratch though."

She turned her head from him, looking down at the white sheets of her bed. She sounded heartbroken and Sesshomaru knew he had to encourage her to stay entered, even if he wasn't happy about it.

"I think you should do it," he said softly.

Kagome looked up at him.

"What?" She choked out.

"I think you should ride in the games," he repeated, this time with a grin.

Kagome shook her head in disbelief.

"I must have some serious brain damage or they've got me on some _really_ good drugs, because there is _no way_ that I just heard those words come out of _your_ mouth."

"Why is it so hard to believe? You have exceptional skills and can throw down some nice tricks."

"You're sucking up to me," she accused coolly, eying him suspiciously. "Whatever it is that you've done or are thinking or doing, must be something that's going to really piss me off."

Sesshomaru sighed and stood.

"I'm sure you're tired, so-"

"I guess I'll see you later then," she interrupted him as she slowly made the move to turn onto her side.

"Kags, I don't want to leave with you all pissed off at me."

"Then fess up to what you've done."

"I haven't _done_ anything."

"Then I guess you'll be leaving with me mad at you."

Not wanting to provoke her further, Sesshomaru decided it would be best if he just left. He turned and slowly walked towards the door, hoping and waiting for her to say something else. Part of him really wanted to just tell her about his training for the double and another part, whose voice was _much_ louder at the moment, wanted to continue to keep her in the dark until the games. He reached the door and Kagome still hadn't moved or said anything. With a guilty sigh, Sesshomaru opened the door and left.

 **XOXOXOXOXDIRTXOXOXOXOX**

Sango laid next to Kagome on her hospital bed with Kagome wrapped tightly in her arms. When Sesshomaru had walked through the waiting room not stopping to say anything to anyone other than accosting Koga for his car keys, Sango knew something was up. She looked to Inu as she stood and when he gave her a nod, she had booked it to Kagome's room. She found Kagome lying in bed on her side with her back to the door. After Kagome had hissed at her to 'go away' followed by a quick apology because she had thought Sango had been Sesshomaru returning, Sango had climbed onto the bed with her best friend.

"He's so stupid," Kagome said bitterly.

"I know. He's a guy and it's in his genetic make-up," Sango said as she rubbed soothing circles on Kagome's back.

"He thinks that I don't know."

"Know what exactly?" Sango asked hesitantly.

"That he's working on doing that God-forsaken double backflip!" Kagome cried.

"Shhh," Sango attempted to sooth her. "You can't be totally mad at him though Kags."

"Why the hell not?" She wailed. "He's being a total ass about it. He should just tell me so that I'm prepared for the horrible crash when he tries it at the games."

"I'm sure he won't crash. I don't think I've ever seen Sesshomaru crash...besides, you haven't told him about your practicing the back flip either. How do you think he's going to react when you land it at the games?"

"I hope I crash and then he'll know what I go through when he pulls this shit."

Sango laughed. "Do you know how stupid that just sounded?"

Kagome laughed lightly.

"Yeah, that was pretty stupid. Still, I'm not going to tell him. If he's going to keep things that are this important from me then I'm going to keep them from him."

Sango remained silent, knowing that she wasn't going to change Kagome's mind on the subject.

 **XOXOXOXOXDIRTXOXOXOXOXOX**

Sesshomaru returned to the hospital the following morning with a fresh bouquet of flowers and a small teddy bear, bound and determined to get back into Kagome's good graces. He attempted to walk past Inu, who had managed to beat him there, but Inu continued to step in front of him, halting any further progress.

"Is there something that you need?" Sesshomaru asked angrily.

"Yes. What the hell did you say to Kagome last night? She's been upset since you left and she won't say anything to me about it. The only one that's been able to get anything out of her is Sango and she says she's been sworn to secrecy."

"I told her what you told me to tell her. I said she should compete," Sesshomaru answered with a sigh, now wishing that he hadn't gone home the previous night.

"...she should be happy. You must have said something else to her. She told me this morning when she's released tomorrow she wants to stay at my place."

"She did?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Yeah, so you better run out and get her some chocolates too before you go in there. Flowers and a stuffed animal aren't going to cut it," Inu half teased.

"She knows about the double. I didn't tell her, but I think she's figured it out."

"She's smarter than you give her credit for," Inu said with a smile, directing Sesshomaru towards two empty chairs in the waiting room. "She knows how you are. I'm willing to bet that she's known since before you knew you were going to try it."

Sesshomaru laughed.

"It's possible. She freaked out on me last night because I wouldn't admit it to her."

Inu could only shake his head.

"I guess you better go in there and attempt to smooth things over," Inu said finally.

Sesshomaru nodded before he stood.

"...thanks," he mumbled as he walked away from Inu.

 _'Those two make things so difficult for themselves.'_ Inu thought with a smirk.

As he watched Sesshomaru disappear down the hall he realized he hadn't told him that Kagome had been moved to another room. It was just two doors down from her last one and there were always nurses running around willing to help, so he figured it wouldn't be an issue.

 **XOXOXOXDIRTXOXOXOXOX**

As Sesshomaru made his way ever closer towards Kagome's room he ran everything he wanted to say through his head to make sure it sounded right. A nurse rushed past him followed by a doctor in blue scrubs, who about pushed Sesshomaru into the wall.

"Sorry!" The doctor called out as an afterthought as he continued down the hall at a jog.

Sesshomaru rounded the last corner before he would be at Kagome's room when two more nurses rushed past him and ran straight into Kagome's room. Sesshomaru froze for several seconds before snapping out of it and running towards the room. He almost slammed into a nurse as she was running back out of the room.

"What's going on?" Sesshomaru asked trying to hide the panic that he felt.

"He's crashing," she stated in a rush before pushing her way past him and running down the hall.

"...wait. He?" Sesshomaru said to himself as he looked into the room to see someone who was very much _not_ Kagome lying flat out on the bed. "Where's the girl that was in this room last night?" He asked another nurse as she pushed past him into the room.

"What?" She snapped. "Oh. You must mean Kagome. She's two doors down in room sixty-seven." She turned around and yanked on the curtain to block Sesshomaru's view of the patient in distress.

Sesshomaru turned and looked down the hall where the door to room sixty-seven was closed.

 _'Thank God.'_ He thought, now noticing how tight his grip had gotten on the flowers he held.

With a thankful sigh he walked the few steps to Kagome's new room before pushing the door open and walking through it. Kagome was awake for a change, sitting up in bed, carelessly flipping through the channels on the wall-mounted TV. She turned to look at him and for a second he thought she might turn him away, but then she gave a bright smile.

"Hi," she greeted cheerfully.

"Hey," Sesshomaru replied in a somber tone, he still was slightly shaken from his recent scare.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked with concern.

"...nothing. No one told me that you had switched rooms."

"Yeah, they did that last night. There was some guy that had a mild heart attack and they needed the room I was in or something."

Sesshomaru decided she didn't need to know the news about the man that was quite possibly dying at that moment, so he stepped closer to the bed before holding out the flowers and teddy bear to her.

"Aww. You're so cute sometimes," she said with a cheesy grin.

"Let's keep that between you and me alright?" He joked back; glad to see she wasn't holding a grudge from the night before.

"They want me to stay another night to monitor some stuff, but the doctor guaranteed me I could go home tomorrow," she said as she placed the flowers on the bedside table and the teddy bear on her lap.

"That's good news. Every thing's healing then?"

She picked up the remote for the TV and clicked the 'off' button.

"Yep, thank goodness."

Sesshomaru nodded.

"So another night here huh? Do you want me to bring you anything?" He asked as he glanced at the many get well balloons that were scattered around the room.

"Some real food would be nice. They don't have anything from the cafeteria that looks edible."

Sesshomaru laughed.

"You sound like Koga."

"Well it's true!" Kagome protested. "I'd like to see you attempt to keep that scary crap down."

"Okay, some _real_ food. Anything else?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Nope, I think I'm good," she answered with a smile.

Sesshomaru's eyes fell to some balloons that seemed _way_ out of place. They were all in a bunch. One said 'Happy Birthday' with bright rainbow coloring, another said 'It's A Boy', there was a graduation balloon that said 'class of '09', then there were several others that had all sorts of odd things on them from skulls, to stars, to dinosaurs, to footballs, and even flowers. And of course there was one that read 'get well' with band-aides all over it.

"Who got you those?" Sesshomaru asked pointing towards the balloons.

Kagome laughed.

"Jakotsu. He said he wanted to liven up the place and that all of the other get well balloons were boring. I think it's funny."

"It's definitely something," Sesshomaru agreed sarcastically.

A silence fell between them. Kagome was waiting for him to apologize and Sesshomaru knew it. He just wasn't so sure he really needed to apologize. Did he? With a sigh he decided it didn't matter if he needed to, he _had_ to.

"Kags, about yesterday..."

"It's okay. We were both being stupid."

He looked up from the teddy bear in her lap, where his eyes had fixed themselves and looked at her.

"I really do think that if you're well enough, you should ride at the Monster Games."

"And I think that if you feel that it's worth possibly breaking your neck, you should do the double in Best Trick."

"How did you know?" He asked slightly surprised by her sudden blessing to do the trick.

"I knew as soon as you did it at the lake. You're not one to just sit back and let someone else take the glory on a trick that could launch you to legend status. I also know you won't back down if you think there's a small chance that you _could_ land something like the double. You were the same way with the backflip."

He smiled.

"There's only three people that know about it other them myself," Sesshomaru said softly. "I want to keep it that way so I won't be practicing it at home."

"That's suicidal. Did you land it when you were at Taki's?"

"No. I didn't," he said regrettably. "I was close though."

"Close? What's your definition of close?"

"I over rotated. It's an easy fix."

"But with two days you couldn't manage to fix it. What makes you think that you can land it at the games? You'll have all the added pressure of the competition."

"I can land it," Sesshomaru said forcefully before adding in a softer tone, "Trust me."

Kagome watched him for a moment before her expression went from one of concern to a soft smile.

"I don't doubt you."

They both felt as if a weight had been lifted off of their shoulders. Kagome thought about letting Sesshomaru in on her little secret of her performing a backflip at the competition, but decided against it. He'd put her through hell recently with his sneaking behind her back to train for his trick, a part of her still wanted him to know what it felt like. Sure, he had gotten a little taste when Inu blabbed about her even being in the games, but she was feeling a little vindictive. After all, her worrying about him had caused her to crash and end up in the hospital for three days.

* * *

Re-posted on: December 22nd, 2016


	17. A STROKE OF SANITY

**Chapter 17: A STROKE OF SANITY**

Sesshomaru stood in front of his fax machine, feeding it the paper which held a list of gear he needed for the Monster Games. It had taken him all of five minutes to write out what he wanted in the way of boots, gloves, goggles, and a new helmet. Instead of calling each individual company that sponsored him, he could let Thor deal with it. After putting the last page through, which held a note asking how the fabrication was going on the sketches he had sent a few days before, he stood and headed for the front door. He checked his cell phone for the time as he slipped behind the wheel of his golf cart.

 _'Oops.'_ He thought without really caring that he was supposed to have been at the foam pit twenty minutes ago.

He backed the golf cart up just enough so he could turn around and pressed the accelerator to the floor board. A minute later, he pulled up to the foam pit where everyone was waiting for him like he had suspected they would be.

"Where the hell have you been?" Inuyasha asked with a huff.

"Doing something important," Sesshomaru replied coolly as he stepped from the golf cart.

"We've been waiting out here for an hour," Inuyasha continued to rant.

"That would be your own fault. I said to be out here at ten, ready to go. If you came out here before then, that was your decision."

"Can't we just get to practicing?" Hakkaku asked from next to Ginta.

Sesshomaru nodded.

"How did practicing go while I was gone?" He asked moving closer to the group.

"Uh...well..." Bankotsu started awkwardly.

"...we didn't exactly...practice, while you were gone," Hiten finished.

"Why not? I thought that you were all going to be adding the back flip into your trick lists at the Games. Why _wouldn't_ you practice? You should be using every spare second to practice," Sesshomaru said, his voice flat.

"We didn't see much of a point to practicing if you weren't here," Jakotsu defended the group.

"You could have at least practiced into the foam pit. Koga, Inuyasha, and my dad were here. They know what to tell you. Hell, Kagome was here. She could have coached you guys."

His last comment brought snickers from Hiten and Bankotsu.

"What?" Sesshomaru asked harshly.

"...nothing," Hiten said shaking his head.

Sesshomaru eyed him suspiciously before turning to Inuyasha.

"Get down to the wench," he directed before looking back at the group. "Start your bikes."

Everyone did as told, thankful that he hadn't pressed for more information as to why Hiten and Bankotsu thought Kagome coaching them in practice was so amusing. Once Sesshomaru turned around to get something out of the golf cart, Jakotsu slapped Bankotsu on the back of his head before he had pulled on his helmet.

"What the hell was that for?!" Bankotsu hissed, turning to glare at his brother.

"You're an idiot," Jakotsu said simply before walking towards Ginta who would also be waiting for his turn to ride one of the three eighties.

 **DIRTDIRTDIRTDIRT**

"Ah...take it easy. There's no rush," Inu instructed as he helped Kagome towards his truck.

"Easy for you to say," Kagome grumbled under her breath.

Inu shook his head, hearing her words. Once they reached his truck, he opened the passenger's side door and supported her while she got in before walking around the hood and opening the door on his side.

"Can we stop and get something to eat?" Kagome asked as she stretched her seatbelt across her chest.

"Sure," Inu answered with a grin as he started the truck. "What did you have in mind?"

"I don't care as long as it's somewhere that I can get a chocolate shake," she answered, leaning her head back against the headrest and closing her eyes.

Inu chuckled to himself as he shifted the truck into reverse and backed out of the parking slot. Their drive to the local hole-in-the-wall diner, where they made the best shakes Inu could think of, was a quiet one. Kagome would occasionally hiss in pain when the truck went over an exceptional bump or pothole, but other than that, the interior of the truck was silent. Once Inu pulled into a parking spot and stopped the engine Kagome's eyes opened and she smiled.

"Good choice," she said brightly as she un-clicked her seatbelt.

"I thought you might approve," Inu said before exiting the truck.

Once inside they went to their usual booth and waited for the waitress. They frequented the place often enough that they didn't need menus, nor did the waitress really need to ask what they wanted. While they waited for their food Inu decided that it would be a good time to discuss a few things before they got home and would no longer have the chance.

"I was glad to hear you'll be staying at your house," Inu said before taking a drink from his glass of water. "Not that I don't love having you around," he added a second later.

"Sesshomaru finally decided to admit what he's been doing. So there's no reason for me to be pissed at him. For now," she added with a slight smirk.

Inu nodded in agreement. That boy always seemed to be making her angry. Although with both of them having the tempers they did, it seemed it would always be that way.

"Did you decide on a choice for your gear?" He asked changing the subject.

"Yeah, it should be here sometime in the next few days. Hopefully."

"What did you decide to go with?" Inu asked curious about her selection. He had heard rumors from some of the boys that it was going to be something horrendous.

"It's a surprise. Koga happened to be around when I was looking over the faxes Thor had sent, so he knows, but I've threatened to break his legs if he tells anyone."

"So it's top secret then?" He asked with a laugh.

Kagome nodded.

"Locked in a storage container, in the basement of Area 51 kind of top secret," she answered with a wink.

"I want to make something perfectly clear now," Inu said suddenly turning serious. "You will not even _look_ at a bike until you've gone to the doctor's next week and he clears you to ride. If for some reason he doesn't clear you, then we'll just have to wait for next year's Games for your debut."

Kagome sighed. Knowing that Inu was right and he would have someone watching her at all times. Most likely himself, so there would be no chance for her to break his no riding rule. Not that she was really feeling like flying through the air at the moment anyway and forget about going inverted!

* * *

Re-posted on: December 22nd, 2016


	18. CRUSH THE WORLD DOWN

**Chapter 18: CRUSH THE WORLD DOWN**

Waiting was never one of Kagome's strong suits. She was slowly going insane. Or so she thought at the moment. She sat dressed in a hospital gown, on a gurney, waiting for the doctor to return with the results of her MRI. The physical had gone well and the doctor was happy to hear that all of her symptoms from her concussion were gone. She swung her legs back and forth as her eyes scanned the room for what was probably the tenth time.

 _'This is_ _so_ _boring!'_ She sighed. _'I should have had Sango come in with me after all.'_

The door to the room she was in opened and the doctor walked in carrying a file and a large folder holding what Kagome assumed were her MRI images.

"Sorry to keep you waiting Kagome," she said with a smile.

"It's okay," Kagome answered with a smile of her own.

"Well, I looked over your MRI and there were a couple of things that I'm concerned about."

Kagome stiffened. That was not the news she had been hoping for. The doctor continued to read over the file she held, not noticing the worry etched on Kagome's face.

"...such as?" Kagome asked after the doctor failed to elaborate on her concerns.

She looked up from Kagome's file and smiled.

"There's some good news too," she said placing the file on the gurney next to Kagome. "Would you like to hear the good or the bad first?"

"The good," Kagome said without hesitating.

"Alright then," the doctor said as she pulled several of the images from the folder and held them up against the light. "This is the MRI of your lower back," she explained. "It's clear. The fluid is gone, so that's very good news. This coupling with the fact that you're no longer having problems with your concussion, I'm going to clear you to ride."

"Really?!" Kagome squeaked.

"Yes really. I know this is going to be a waste of my breath, but be careful. I know you've been through this dozens of times with your boyfriend, so you know the drill. Another wreck with head trauma and you could be spending more than just a couple of days in the hospital."

Kagome nodded.

"So if that was the good news, what's the bad?" Kagome asked.

"Well, you said your knee was bothering you so we took an MRI of that as well."

"Right," Kagome agreed.

The doctor pulled out the last of the images from the folder and held it up to the light as well.

"This," she said, using her free hand to point to the image. "Is a good sized tare in your meniscus on the right side of your right knee."

"Which means?" Kagome asked noticing the tare the doctor was talking about.

"You're going to need surgery to repair it."

"S...surgery?" Kagome stuttered.

"Yes. It's a very standard surgery. We go in arthroscopically and you can go home the same day."

"There's no other way to fix it?"

"I'm afraid not. We don't have to do it right away. It can wait until after your competition, providing you can tolerate the pain."

"What will the layup be?" Kagome asked finally looking away from the image.

"Roughly three months. That is, three months before you'd be able to do anything more then walk around."

Kagome nodded slowly and the doctor grabbed the file from next to Kagome.

"I'll give you a prescription for a pain medication and an anti-inflammatory. They'll help. Ice it for ten minutes after you ride or any other time you think you need it. I'm also going to refer you to a specialist so we can get the ball rolling as far as your surgery goes."

"Okay. Thank you."

The doctor nodded and handed Kagome two small pieces of paper.

"That's about it for this round. You can get dressed and good luck with the competition," the doctor said smiling as she headed for the door.

"Thank you," Kagome said, returning her smile.

Once the doctor left Kagome dressed and left the room, following the hallway until she reached the waiting room where Sango, Inu, and Sesshomaru were waiting for her.

"Well?" Inu asked, noticing her first.

Kagome stopped a few feet away from the trio with a sigh.

"What is it?" Sesshomaru asked, getting to his feet.

"It's nothing. Well, not _nothing_. I mean its good news, but, there's some bad news too," Kagome said quickly.

Sango and Inu had also stood and now were standing next to Sesshomaru in front of her. Inu laid a comforting hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"Tell us the good news first," he directed.

"It's really good news," Kagome said with a half-smile. "I can ride again and she said I can ride in the Games."

"That _is_ good news," Sango said cheerfully.

"Yeah," Kagome agreed.

"What's the bad news?" Sesshomaru asked.

"My knee's been bothering me, so when we did the MRI on my back, she had them go ahead and do one on my knee. I have a big tare in something I can't remember the name of. I have to have a surgery-"

"Yet she's cleared you to ride?" Sesshomaru asked skeptically.

"Yes, she did. It's not something that's going to stop me from riding, but it's something I will have to eventually deal with. She recommended we set up the surgery for as soon as the Games are over."

"Kags-" Sango started before moving to hug her friend.

Kagome returned the hug before she continued. "I'm supposed to go meet with a specialist in the next few days to set a date for it."

The others nodded.

"Let's get you home," Inu suggested, turning towards the door.

Kagome and the others followed him out of the doctor's office.

DIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRT

"Time to move onto the big boy bikes," Kagome said with a wink.

"Big boy bikes?" Hiten asked.

"Yeah, today you're all moving onto the two-fifties," she said excitedly and threw her hands up into the air.

"I haven't landed a back flip on the eighty though," Ginta whined.

"There's not that much of a difference between the two really," Kagome said then catching her slip, quickly added. "Not that I've done a back flip on either, but I think it's easier to throw tricks on the two-fifty."

She glanced nervously at Sesshomaru to see what his reaction had been, but he showed none in the least.

"Not much of a difference," Bankotsu scoffed. "You mean other than the weight and overall size of the bikes of course."

"Shut up," Kagome said playfully.

"Each of you can pick out a beater bike and let's get started," Sesshomaru said before he turned to Inuyasha. "You can have the wench duty."

"Why am I _always_ the one that has to work the wench?!" He growled angrily.

"Why? Because that is where your meager skills can be the most useful," Sesshomaru answered flatly. "Stop complaining and get down there."

Inuyasha turned and started the walk towards the wench, grumbling under his breath.

"Here we go again," Hakkaku murmured as he slipped his helmet on.

"You only have three more days before we leave for the Games. Make every run count," Kagome said cheerfully as the group began to kick-start their bikes.

The two-fifties were called 'beaters' for a good reason. They were absolutely beat to hell. Most of them were missing plastics and several were sporting bent parts. Their entire existence was for this very purpose. To let people learn without trashing their own bikes. Things were coming down to the wire for the group if they were planning on attempting back flips in their runs at the Monster Games and today would be the toughest day of practice yet. Once their bikes were warmed up, the group collected several feet away from the ramp to the foam pit to await their turns. Kagome stood in between Sesshomaru and Inu, with Sango and Miroku sitting in chairs slightly to the right of them. Bankotsu was the first to go and had no trouble pulling the bike around and through the rotation of the flip.

"I think most of them are ready," Inu said after Hiten went.

"It's Hakkaku and Ginta that I'm worried about," Sesshomaru said without taking his eyes from the foam pit.

"They'll get it," Kagome said with confidence. "They're going to need a back flip in their arsenal of tricks if they want to have a chance against me."

"A little over-confidant aren't we?" Sesshomaru teased as Jakotsu made his first run of the morning.

"I'm only kidding, but what's with the lack of confidence on your part? You don't think I can win?" She asked, already knowing it wasn't true.

"It's not that at all. Ginta and Hakkaku aren't the only ones that you're going to be up against."

"You should go into the competition with confidence, but not to the extent that you're over-confident," Inu added.

"I know I might not win," Kagome said with a slight shake of her head.

"You have just as good a chance as anyone else that's entered," Inu said before glaring at Sesshomaru.

"...right," he added.

Inu shook his head as he rolled his eyes.

"You should ride today," Inu said as Ginta took to the ramp.

"Who me?" Kagome asked.

"Who else?" Inu asked with a chuckle.

"I...maybe after the guys are done."

Sesshomaru glanced down at her when she had hesitated with her answer.

"You're not afraid are you?" He asked softly.

"No, it's not anything like that," Kagome replied.

"Your knee?" Inu asked next.

"A little, nothing horrible, but the pain is there."

"You've got to block it out," Inu said before Sesshomaru could say anything. "You'll be fine."

"Look on the bright side," Miroku said, suddenly entering the conversation. "If it gets jacked up worse, you're having surgery three days after the competition."

"Gee. Thank you for those words of wisdom," Kagome replied sarcastically.

DIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRT

Kagome putted around the freestyle track for the first time since her wreck. It felt good to be on a bike again, but she wouldn't deny the fact that she was a little nervous.

 _'Block it out.'_ She told herself as she headed towards a small ramp.

She did nothing more than pull the bike around in a whip and land.

 _'Start off slow. Ease back into it.'_ She mentally chanted as she headed towards another ramp.

This time she performed a Nac-Nac before landing and following it with a Superman Seat Grab off of the next ramp. She continued to perform some of the more basic tricks before finally moving onto the ones that were more difficult. She worked through her entire desired trick list before finally coming to the Rock Solid. Part of her was reluctant to attempt the trick, but an even bigger part of her knew that she had to. She headed towards one of the steel ramps wide open. Once she was in the air she let her body pull away from the bike and then let go of the handle bars. She didn't hold it for very long, just long enough that it could qualify, before pulling herself back onto the bike in preparation to land. Sesshomaru and Inu sat in the Mule watching. It had been a real pain in the ass to convince the others not to follow them out there.

"She's holding back," Inu observed.

"Even so, that's a better Rock Solid then most can do," Sesshomaru said, keeping his eyes on Kagome.

Silence fell between them again as Kagome made her way around the track and to the ramp again. Landing the trick had helped out with her nagging doubts and she was ready to let loose a little more. She opted to do the Rock Solid again, this time holding it to the point where it looked like there was no way she could get back on the bike and land. Sesshomaru looked over at Inu once Kagome was safely back on the ground.

"That's better," Inu said smiling before glancing at Sesshomaru.

" _That's_ how she normally preforms the trick? No wonder she wrecked."

"She _wrecked_ because she was worried about _you_ ," Inu said forcefully.

Sesshomaru chose not to respond and opted to watch Kagome again. She was riding towards them; apparently she was finished for the day. She had been sorely tempted to just go for the back flip, but she really didn't want Sesshomaru to know about it yet.

 _'That'll just have to wait for the games.'_ She said to herself as she rode up to the Mule.

She killed the engine and pulled her helmet off.

"Very good," Inu said when Kagome looked at him expectantly. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that nothing had ever happened."

"Thanks," she said with a shy smile.

"Have you set your trick list?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Pretty much," Kagome replied. "I have a couple of things I've got to figure out, but for the most part it's done."

"Well, I think that we should call it a day," Inu suggested, noting the setting sun. "We can work on your set up a little more tomorrow."

Kagome nodded before pulling her helmet back on, but not tying the strap.

"We'll meet you back at the garage," Sesshomaru said as he started the Mule.

Kagome kick-started her bike, wincing with the sudden pain in her knee the action had caused.

"This is going to get old really fast," she said aloud before shifting into first and riding in the direction of the garage.

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The following morning found the group out at the practice track. The back flip academy students were attempting back flips on dirt for the first time on their two-fifties. Inuyasha and Kouga were on either side of the landing area, while Sesshomaru and Inu were next to the take-off ramp. Kagome sat with Miroku and Sango watching as the guys each took their turns.

"This bites," Miroku sighed.

Kagome and Sango looked over at him.

"What bites?" Kagome asked looking back in the direction of the ramp as Ginta started towards it.

"Sitting here," he answered motioning with his hands to indicate where they were. "I should be out there."

"Yeah? Tell me about it," Kagome commented with a huff.

"Are you going to practice again today?" Sango asked Kagome.

"Later, when they're done I suppose. It's my last chance before we leave."

All three of them cringed when Ginta failed to rotate completely and he crashed almost on top of Inuyasha.

"Maybe it's not such a bad thing...sitting here," Miroku said quietly.

"It's better than where Inuyasha's standing at the moment," Sango added.

Their conversation was brought to an abrupt halt when there was a loud honking coming from behind them.

"Oh! I bet that's UPS!" Kagome shouted excitedly as she jumped out of her lawn chair and ran over to the Mule.

Sesshomaru and Inu both turned around at the sound of the Mule's engine kicking over.

"Where's the fire?" Inu asked.

"I think UPS is here," Kagome answered as she prepared to drive off.

"Need any help?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Nope! Got it covered," she said with a wave before she turned the Mule around, spraying dirt and leaves everywhere.

"You'd think there was a million dollars waiting for her in that truck. Not some motorcycle gear," Inu commented before turning back to face the ramp.

"I'm afraid to see what it is that she had designed," Sesshomaru added as he turned around as well.

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After all but snatching the boxes away from the poor delivery guy, Kagome raced towards the house. She had to make several trips to get all of the boxes into the living room. There were three large boxes and one small for Sesshomaru, while there were two large and one small for her. She left Sesshomaru's on the couch before she ripped open the boxes addressed to her. The small one held her new hot pink Fox goggles and black Fox gloves with white logos, so she quickly moved onto one of the bigger ones. The first one held brand new white AlpineStars boots with the logos in black, so she moved onto the last box knowing it held what she wanted the most. She tore open the box and removed the air-filled packing pockets before she pulled out her jersey. She smirked and started laughing.

"This is too classic!" She said as she set the jersey down to pick up the motocross pants. "It's perfect. Now I've got to stash it somewhere."

She looked around the living room for somewhere to put her gear so it would remain a secret until she put it on at the games. She decided the best place for it was probably somewhere no one would think to look, which led to the idea of putting it in the laundry room. She was pretty much the only one that ever went in there so it was perfect. She pulled the goggles and gloves from the smaller box and folded the jersey and MX pants so they would fit into it. Once they were packed in, she walked to the laundry room and placed the box on the shelf above the washer.

She then returned to the living room and picked up her boots, along with the goggles and gloves, and headed upstairs to throw them in her bedroom. She traveled back down stairs and headed for the front door. She stopped briefly in front of the couch, staring at Sesshomaru's boxes.

 _'I really want to see what he came up with. He'd probably get mad if I opened them.'_ She debated with herself for a moment before deciding she'd just drive out to the track and drag him back to the house before forcing him to open them.

Kagome opened the door and bounded down the stairs of the porch before hopping behind the wheel of the Mule. She made her way back to the track as quickly as she dared. She drove right up to Sesshomaru, almost slamming into him before she stopped.

"Hey! You need to come to the house right now," her words came out quickly and Sesshomaru stared at her as if she had lost her mind.

"Can you repeat that? Possibly slower?"

"You need. To come to. The house. Right now," Kagome repeated slowly.

"Why? Can't whatever it is wait for another half hour?" He asked.

"No! Now, please?" She clasped her hands in front of her as she pleaded.

Inu shoved Sesshomaru towards the Mule.

"Go," he said not bothering to hold back his laughter. "We can handle things for a couple of minutes."

"Well-"

"Come _on_ ," Kagome said leaning across the seat so that she could grab onto the bottom of his shirt. "I'll bring you right back after I'm done with you."

He allowed her to pull him onto the seat.

"When you're done with me huh?" Sesshomaru asked with a smirk.

"Nothing like _that_ mister," Kagome warned, waving a finger at him. "I just need you to do something for me. Well, it's for you too."

"Yeah?" He asked attempting to keep a smile off his face.

"Yes," she said grinning as she drove off in the direction of the house once again.

Sesshomaru had to grab onto the roll cage to steady himself after her abrupt take-off. She sped through the trees, at one point actually getting the Mule on only two wheels.

"Slow down! The gear isn't going anywhere," Sesshomaru said, holding himself back from grabbing the steering wheel from her.

"I want to see what you designed," Kagome explained.

"I'm not going to be able to show you anything if we both die," he commented back.

Two heart stopping minutes later, they arrived at the house, amazingly in one piece. Kagome practically drug Sesshomaru behind her up the stairs and through the doorway. She pulled him along towards the couch before stopping and picking up the small box addressed to Sesshomaru and holding it out towards him.

"I'm guessing these are your gloves and goggles," she said smiling.

"The box is too small for it to have anything else in it," he agreed before opening the box.

It held exactly what they thought it would. Sesshomaru pulled out a new pair of black and gold Smith Optics goggles and a pair of black gloves with white Fox logos on them.

"Hey, I got the same gloves," Kagome said, pulling them out of his hands.

"Speaking of your gear, where is it?" Sesshomaru asked, setting the box down and picking up one of the larger ones.

"Most of it is in the bedroom. Don't bother asking me to see the jersey or the pants, because I'm not showing them to anyone before the competition."

He laughed.

"How about I'll show you mine if you show me yours?"

"Don't be like that," she whined. "You know I want mine to be a surprise."

"It's okay. You don't have to show me if you don't want to," he said as he pulled a pair of black AlpineStars boots with white logos out of the box.

"Mine are the complete opposite," Kagome said taking one from him.

"Really? You ordered white boots?" He asked setting the other boot down.

"Yeah, I wanted something unusual. White seemed like a good color," she said with a shrug.

He picked up another box and opened it, pulling out a black velvet-like drawstring bag.

"Your helmet?" Kagome asked.

He nodded as he pulled it from the bag. The new one looked like all the ones before it had, with it having a base of silver with the Red Bull logos in yellow, navy, and red. After a brief inspection, he handed the helmet over to Kagome while he reached for the last box. He opened it slowly deliberately, just to annoy Kagome.

"Would you get on with it?" She asked attempting to take the box from him.

"You already opened yours," he reminded her, pulling the box out of her reach. "This one is mine."

"You're taking forever!" She wailed before flopping backwards onto the couch.

Sesshomaru shook his head as he pulled the jersey from the box. He unfolded it and held it out in front of him. It turned out better than he thought it would have. The sketches he had sent them weren't exactly the best. It was white with red coming from the neckline on the left and running down the shoulder with sakura blossoms in white throughout the red. The bottom of both sleeves sported the same pattern. Up the outside of the sleeves, from the wrist to the elbow, there were Red Bull logos in red, white, and yellow. The center of the chest held Thor and Suzuki logos in red and running over the right shoulder was 'Thor' in red lettering. He flipped it around so he could see the back and Kagome could see the front. The back held a huge Thor logo in red just below his last name in yellow lettering.

"It's awesome," Kagome said softly.

"Yeah," he answered before tossing the jersey to her and pulling the MX pants from the box.

The pants were also white with Thor in yellow and black lettering just blow each hip.

"And you were giving me crap about having white boots?" Kagome 'tisked'. "You're whole getup is white. You better hope you don't wreck."

"Wearing white is an incentive not to wreck," Sesshomaru said smiling. "You like the gear then?"

She nodded.

"It's very nice. Just make sure you keep the jersey clean so we can frame it after you land your double."

He laughed.

"I don't suppose it would look as nice with a ton of dirt on it."

"It would take away from its pristine look," Kagome agreed with a giggle.

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"So what I want you to do is just do a basic run through of your trick list," Inu said to Kagome as she pulled her gloves on.

She looked up at him and smiled.

"I assume that I'm to leave out the grand finale?"

Inu glanced at her.

"Yes, leave that out. It's a good thing Sesshomaru isn't out here to practice yet."

"Psh. He wouldn't have a clue as to what I was talking about," Kagome teased as she pulled her helmet on.

"Never the less, no more grand finale talk."

"Sure. Sure. We should come up with a code word," she suggested.

"A code word?" Inu asked.

"Yeah, for the grand finale. Something that's completely random. Like...oo-de-lally."

"Oo-de-lally?"

"Uh huh. And when anyone asks what the hell it is, we can tell them it's a new secret trick."

"Right," Inu said shaking his head in wonder. "Then no oo-de-lallies tonight."

"Right-o," Kagome said giving him a salute.

Kagome pulled her goggles on then kick-started her bike, every few seconds pulling on the throttle. She re-read her trick list that was written on a piece of duct tape on her handlebars. It of course was missing the back flip in the final trick slot; she had replaced it with a Dead Body. She visualized each ramp she would need to take for each trick. Once she felt she had the list basically memorized she shifted into first and putted around the track towards her first line. Sesshomaru rode up next to Inu just as Kagome was taking her first ramp.

"How does she look?" He asked, not taking his eyes from her.

"This is her first run."

"Good. I didn't miss anything. Do you have her practicing her list?"

Inu nodded.

"She has everything down solid. It's basically just to get her through the motions and help her out with her confidence."

"I'm interested to see how she deals with doing the same thing in front of a few thousand people," Sesshomaru commented as Kagome completed a Cordova.

"I don't think it will bother her."

They watched in silence, Inu checking his watch every few seconds to see where Kagome was on time. She completed her entire list within the ninety seconds that would be her designated time limit at the games. As she made her way towards Inu and Sesshomaru she pulled her goggles off and let them hang around her neck. She came to a stop and killed the bike's engine.

"So?" She asked.

"Fantastic," Inu said smiling. "You completed all nine tricks under the ninety second mark."

"Great!" Kagome chirped.

"That's a tough list you've come up with," Sesshomaru commented.

"I figured it needed to be," Kagome said with a shrug.

"Sesshomaru, go run through your list," Inu directed.

Sesshomaru did as told, kick-starting his bike and riding out onto the track.

"That Dead Body was nice. Maybe you should substitute it for something else," Inu suggested.

"Such as? I'm not giving up the oo-de-lally."

"The oo-de-lally? Oh right! Your little code," he said snapping his fingers. "No, that's not what I meant. Just think it over, but you could have some bonus points with that trick."

Kagome nodded and turned her attention to Sesshomaru as he took his first ramp. He performed a Stripper and Kagome smiled.

"He's warming up," she observed.

"Looks that way," Inu agreed.

Sesshomaru's second trick was a Stalefish with a Saran Wrap. Kagome and Inu continued to watch as Sesshomaru raced around the track, throwing whatever trick he felt like at the time. He didn't have any real plan, nor did he need one. He would let Kagome decide his trick list tomorrow on the trip down to Los Angeles. He performed trick after trick all the while Kagome watched, expecting him to attempt the Double at some point, but he never did. He landed after performing a Nac-Nac Back Flip and closed the short distance from between the landing ramp and where Kagome and Inu were standing.

"That was the longest trick list in history," Inu commented.

"I don't have a real list yet. Kagome still has to make it for me," Sesshomaru said smiling, letting his bike continue to idle.

"You should have had that done already," Inu grumbled. "There is such a thing as preparation you know."

Sesshomaru shrugged. "Whatever she comes up with, I'm sure I'll have no trouble completing it."

"Sometimes..." Inu began to scold, but decided it would be a wasted effort. "Alright, let's get back to the house and eat something. We can pack tomorrow. We don't have to leave until noon-ish."

Inu turned and started walking in the direction of the houses.

"Here Inu," Kagome said as she hopped off of her bike. "Ride mine back; I'll ride with Sess."

"Thanks," Inu said gratefully as he took the bike from her. "Walking back didn't sound all that fun."

"Anytime," Kagome said with a smile as she tossed her leg over the back of Sesshomaru's bike.

She slid up close to his back and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"See you at the garage!" Kagome hollered as Sesshomaru let out the clutch and shifted into first.


	19. TURN THE TRUE POWER ON

**Dirt Chapter 19: TURN THE TRUE POWER ON**

Bikes and gear had been loaded methodically. They would be in Los Angeles for several days, so they would be staying at a hotel. This meant that they wouldn't need to take the toy hauler and would take a bike trailer instead. They loaded the seven bikes that would fit onto the trailer before loading the other two into the back of Bankotsu's truck. With twelve people going, there would be three trucks creating a small caravan. Inu would pull the trailer with his truck; having Kouga, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango riding with him. Bankotsu would drive his truck with Hiten, Jakotsu, Ginta, and Hakkaku riding with him. And Sesshomaru and Kagome would be in his truck which was loaded with everyone's gear.

They hit the road just before ten in the morning, getting an earlier start then Inu had anticipated. It was a long drive, eight hours, and Inu hoped they would reach LA somewhere between seven and nine that evening. That allowed two to three extra hours for traffic and the nonsense of the ragtag group he was with. He was certain there would be no shortage of excuses to stop along the way. Izayoi hadn't wanted to drive down with the group for that very reason, so she would be flying into LAX the following morning, in time to watch the first event that afternoon.

The first four hours went smoothly without any reasons to stop, they were making great time. It was close to two when Inu's cell phone rang.

"Yes Sesshomaru?" He asked after flipping the phone open and pressing it to his ear.

"Kagome's hungry," Sesshomaru answered.

Inu smirked when he heard Kagome yelling in the background.

"That's not true! He's the one that's been pitching a fit because we haven't stopped to eat yet."

"She does sound like she's starving," Inu commented with a laugh.

"So the next exit then?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Yeah, this area's fairly populated, there should be something decent. Call Bankotsu."

"Yep," Sesshomaru said before hanging up.

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"What are the chances?" Miroku said as he hopped out of Inu's truck and grabbed his crutches from Sango. "Inuyasha was whining about chicken strips and the only place to eat off of this exit is a Denny's."

"The Gods are smiling down on us today," Inu teased.

"They're definitely smiling down on him. If he hadn't shut up, I was going to throw him out the window," Kouga added.

"Like you could of," Inuyasha boasted as the rest of the group joined them.

When Inuyasha started towards the door to the restaurant, Kouga grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him backwards.

"Not-uh. Punks like you go in last."

Inuyasha attempted to swat Kouga away, but to no avail. He grumbled while he watched everyone else file through the door. Once inside, they were seated at three booths and given menus to look over. After placing their orders everyone anxiously awaited their late lunch.

"Is there anything you want specifically in your trick list?" Kagome asked as she poured five packets of sugar into her iced tea.

"I need something different," Sesshomaru replied, amused at how much sugar she used.

"He means your normal lists are boring," Inuyasha interrupted.

"That is not what I meant," Sesshomaru clarified.

"I know," Kagome said smiling. "How about some combos."

"What do you have in mind?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kagome grabbed her purse and pulled out a pen, then grabbed her napkin. She jotted down a few things before sliding it in front of Sesshomaru.

"What's with the secrecy?" Kouga asked.

"Half of his competition is sitting at the booth behind you. I'd like his trick list to be a surprise," Kagome answered.

Sesshomaru looked over the list and nodded.

"I think I'd like this in there too," he said as he grabbed the pen from Kagome and wrote down his idea.

"Okay," she answered taking the napkin and pen from him and stuffing it into her purse.

"What about your trick list?" Inuyasha asked taking his straw wrapper and scrunching it up.

"I've already got both of them. I thought I'd just do some basic tricks my first round, and then pull out the bigger ones for the second since they keep the best score of the two."

"Solid plan," Kouga said nodding.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sesshomaru asked Inuyasha as he pulled some of his soda out of his glass with his straw.

Inuyasha looked up at him as he poised his straw over the scrunched up wrapper.

"Making a worm," he replied with a shrug.

"How old are you?" Sesshomaru asked mockingly.

"I haven't done that since I was a little kid!" Kagome squealed and reached for Sesshomaru's unused straw.

She scrunched up the wrapper as she took it off then handed Sesshomaru the straw.

"Here I don't need that part," she said absently as she dipped her straw into her drink.

She then held the straw above the wrapper and let a few drops of the liquid fall onto it. The wrapper began to swell and move as it soaked up the iced tea.

"I forgot how funny that was," Kagome giggled.

Sesshomaru shook his head.

"Yours turned out better than Inuyasha's," Kouga pointed out. "His doesn't look right."

"It's not like it was a contest or something," Inuyasha spat pushing the mess he made towards the center of the table.

"It's because he scrunched it up _after_ he took it off of the straw. You have to scrunch it as you take if off the straw."

"I wasn't aware that we're in the presence of a professional," Inuyasha scoffed.

Kagome made a face at him and used Sesshomaru's napkin to clean up her side of the table.

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The closer they got to LA, the more horrendous the traffic became. They spent almost two hours either at a complete stop or moving so slow, the speedometer didn't register the speed. They arrived at the Staples Center at nine-thirty at night. The group parked in the reserved parking lot and stepped from their vehicles, thankful for the chance to walk around and stretch. An attendant told them where to go to sign in and find out where they would be leaving their bikes and gear.

Kouga and Inuyasha stayed at the trucks so when Inu came back from finding out where the bikes went, they could help him unload them. The rest of the group filed through the door the attendant had designated as the contestant's entrance and wound their way through the large building. They could hear the tractors working away at building the dirt ramp they would be using for Best Trick, Best Whip, and Step Up competitions. They followed bright blue signs that pointed the direction to registration. Once there the group fell into a haphazard line to wait their turns to check in. Inu was first, as he simply wished to find out where to unload the bikes. Once he found out, he left the group and told them to meet back at Sesshomaru's truck when they were done.

Sesshomaru and Kagome checked in together, Sesshomaru having to help situate things for her. That's when they both found out that Inu had entered her in the Best Whip competition.

"Huh," she said looking at her copy of the list of contests she was entered in.

"What?" Sesshomaru asked. "Did he put you in open?"

"No, I'm in Best Whip." She flipped the paper around so he could read the list.

"You didn't enter it?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Inu took care of everything. I just signed stuff."

The official that was handling the registration pulled out Kagome's original entry forms to look them over, having heard their discussion.

"It's listed on here," he said handing the form to Sesshomaru.

"Looks like he entered you, do you want to scratch it?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kagome thought over the question for a moment. If she did go through with the class it would be a chance to ride in front of a crowd before her freestyle contest. This competition was inside whereas the freestyle was outside, but it would still be a large crowd.

"Eh...what the heck. I'm here. I'm entered. Why not?" She answered finally.

The official nodded his approval and took the form back from Sesshomaru.

"Next," he called out as he filed her paperwork away.

An hour and a half later, the bikes were unloaded and the gear was safely stored in the FMX locker room. It was finally time to go check into the hotel and get some rest. Kagome was amused that she and Sango were the only ones with suitcases. All the guys carried large duffel bags, or in Miroku's case, nothing at all. Hiten carried his bag as well as his own. They were staying at the same hotel as most of the other contestants and there were people everywhere. After receiving their room keys, they waited for the elevators. They had to split up into four groups to make the trip to the tenth floor before wandering down the hall to find their rooms. Inu had his own room, in which Izayoi would later join him in. Kouga and Inuyasha roomed together. The two couples each had their own room. And the remaining five were split into two rooms.

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Morning came all too soon Kagome decided as she finally pushed herself from bed after Sesshomaru's third attempt to wake her. They showered and dressed before heading down to the lobby where they met everyone else and headed out for breakfast.

They arrived at the Staples Center just after ten and headed for the room they had been told to go to for a mandatory safety meeting. The meeting lasted only half an hour, but it seemed like five hours to Kagome. All she wanted to do was to go check things out. The first competition, Best Whip, wasn't for another three hours, so there was plenty of time go check things out and watch some of the other events. After finally being released from the meeting, they all headed outside. Half of them went to watch Skate Park and the other half went to see BMX Vert. While Inu went to the airport to pick up Izayoi.

"You act like you've never been to one of these before," Sesshomaru commented as Kagome walked excitedly thought the crowd.

"I haven't been to one where I have one of these bad boys," she chirped, holding up her contestant's badge.

"It's not like it's going to get you anywhere that you haven't already been," Inuyasha commented.

"Stop ruining my fun," Kagome playfully scolded, shoving Inuyasha away from her side.

"Oh my God! Sesshomaru!"

Kagome, Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and Kouga turned around to face the direction that the high-pitched scream had come from. A tall blond girl was standing there with a huge smile on her face. She reached out for Sesshomaru and he jolted slightly, not expecting her to move so quickly.

"I'm your biggest fan! Oh my God, this is the best day of my life! I can't believe it's really you!" She squealed as she attempted to hug him.

He kept her at bay, but just barely. The others couldn't help but laugh at the situation he was in. She was practically jumping on him and trying anything she could to keep his attention. She produced a Sharpie from some unknown location and held it out to him.

"Can I have your autograph?" She pleaded.

"Uh, sure," Sesshomaru answered, hoping it would help speed along the process of her leaving.

He took the Sharpie from her and uncapped it.

"Where?" He asked annoyed with the way she was carrying on.

"Oh...I don't have any paper or anything. How about right here?" She suggested as she pulled the already low-cut neckline of her shirt down reveling a large amount of cleavage held in a black lace bra.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, not caring if she saw or not, but moved to write anyway. He signed higher up then she had designated, but not by much. He capped the pen and handed it back to her.

"Thanks! You're seriously the coolest!" She said as she turned around and left.

Sesshomaru turned back around to face the others and found Kagome glaring at him. Her arms were folded across her chest and she was frowning.

"What?" He asked innocently, smirking.

"I think you know _what_ ," she hissed.

She reached out to the nearest available male, which happened to be Kouga, and latched onto his arm.

"Oh Sesshomaru!" She squealed in an overly-feminine voice. "I'm your biggest fan! Will you sign my obviously fake breasts?!"

Kouga and Inuyasha started laughing when she pulled her tank top down slightly. They were impressed; she was doing a perfect impression of the girl that had attached herself to Sesshomaru seconds before.

 _'Nice to know it bothers her also.'_ Sesshomaru thought.

"I recall you telling me that you thought it was cute how the fangirls accosted me."

"You didn't have to actually sign her freaking boobs!" Kagome scolded, half laughing.

The situation was actually pretty funny and the look he had when she was trying to hug him had been priceless, but still.

"Signing body parts is off limits," she announced as she began walking again.

She didn't get very far before Kouga and Inuyasha's yelling stopped her.

"Oh my God! Kagome!" Kouga yelled.

"We're your biggest fans!" Inuyasha added as they lunged at her.

People stopped to watch what was happening, figuring this Kagome person must have been pretty famous by the way the two guys were acting.

"You guys, knock it off," she laughed.

"Can we have your autograph?!" Kouga asked pulling a sharpie out.

"Why are you carrying that?" Kagome asked as he shoved the pen into her hands.

"Come on, please?" Inuyasha asked. "Too bad we forgot the camera."

"No one's going to believe that we met you. You have to give us your autograph," Kouga continued.

"Okay. Okay," Kagome laughed as she uncapped the pen. "On your shirt then?"

Kouga smirked before he pulled his shirt up.

"How about right here?" He asked pointing to his chest.

"Whatever," Kagome shrugged and reached out, placing one hand on his side as she signed her name with the other.

She smiled as she looked over her handy work. She had simply written Kagome with a heart above the e. She turned to Inuyasha.

"Same place?" She asked.

"Alright, that's enough," Sesshomaru insisted, grabbing the Sharpie from Kagome and stepping in between her and Inuyasha. "Signing body parts is off limits."

Kagome smirked.

"Aww man, I was going to have her sign my ass," Inuyasha whined.

"Eww. I would't have done it," Kagome said shaking her head.

 **DIRT &DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT**

The locker room was alive with activity as the riders entered in the Best Whip competition were getting ready. Kagome had her own room next the guys where Sango waited with her.

"Too bad you're not getting to use the other locker room," Sango said as she stood leaning against the wall.

"Yeah, lots of hot FMX guys in their undies," Kagome answered. "I think Sesshomaru would have had an issue with me being in there. Not to mention I would have had to change in there too."

"There is that," Sango admitted. "Why aren't you wearing your new jersey and pants?"

Kagome finished putting on her boots as she answered.

"I wanted to save it for the FMX comp."

Sango nodded.

"How many competitors are in this one?"

"Twelve? I think." Kagome said as she stood and grabbed her helmet.

She shoved her goggles and gloves into it then turned back to Sango.

"I guess I'm ready."

Sango smiled.

"You're ready to go take on the guys?"

"I do it every day. It's just this time there's a chance I'll win a medal for it."

"And there's more than just Sesshomaru and the others," Sango added.

"There is that." Kagome giggled. "Alright, I want to make sure Inu has my bike ready."

They walked towards the door and then out into the hall. Sesshomaru, Hiten, Bankotsu, Jakotsu, and Hakkaku, who were also in the competition, were waiting for them.

"Ready?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kagome nodded.

"As ready as I'm going to get."

Sesshomaru reached for her hand and held it tight as the group started to walk towards the area of the parking lot where they were supposed to warm up before heading back into the arena for the competition itself. As they approached their bikes, Kagome noticed a familiar face.

"Ugh. Naraku's here?" She asked even though he was obviously there to compete, since he was dressed in his gear.

"Unfortunately," Sesshomaru answered.

"Kagome," Inu called.

"Yeah?" She asked letting go of Sesshomaru's hand to walk towards Inu.

He waited until she was in front of him with her bike separating them.

"You and I need to have a discussion about tactics," he said smiling.

"We do?" She asked, laughing with the idea.

He nodded.

"The guys will be throwing down bigger whips then you which will make your chances of medaling more difficult. You do have something on your side however." Kagome waited as he paused. "You'll be the only girl out there, whipping a two hundred and fifty pound motorcycle around. That's bound to impress the judges. You get three goes with no warm up off the ramp. Make sure your second and third are the best whips you've ever thrown down."

"No pressure," Kagome scoffed.

"None whatsoever," Inu said smiling. "One more thing."

"Yeah?"

"Kick Sesshomaru's ass," He said with a smirk.

"Right. Have you seen his whips? The one that's going to take this is Jakotsu."

Inu nodded.

"That's where I'd place my money too. Okay, get on and scream her out a couple of times. They're going to call you kids in soon."

Kagome handed her gloves and goggles to him while she pulled her helmet on. Once she had the rest of her gear on she threw a leg over her bike and kick-started it. She pulled on the throttle couple of times while it idled and glanced over at Sesshomaru. He was doing the same, with Kouga standing at his side holding his goggles. She looked around their group; Ginta was helping Hakkaku while Inuyasha was helping Hiten, Bankotsu, and Jakotsu. She didn't see Miroku, Sango, or Izayoi, so she assumed they had already headed inside to grab their seats.

Kagome shifted the bike into first and let the clutch out and began to ride small circles around Inu. The bike felt weird due to the fact that she was riding on asphalt, but she tried to block it out knowing it was only temporary. Her circles got larger as she shifted up to second, then third, and finally pulled the bike straight before shifting into forth then fifth. She held the throttle down as she screamed across the parking lot. Sesshomaru and the other riders soon joined her and they rode around until a short guy wearing a head set approached them. He motioned for them to come towards him. So they did, letting their bikes die as they coasted to a stop.

"Alright, I've got your order of go. It's best out of three and you'll stay in this order until all three runs are up. You'll basically be playing follow the leader. A flagger will be at the starting ramp, you'll go when he tells you, then come back around and get in line for your next go. There are slots set up off to the right of the take-off and landing ramps where your crew can be. Any questions?" He waited all of two seconds before continuing. "Here's the order. Bankotsu, Aido, Sesshomaru, Jakotsu, Kaname, Naraku, Hiten, Tohru, Kagome, Koryu, Hakkaku, and Kain. Now, you've got to walk your bikes into the arena and don't start them again until I give you the go ahead."

He looked around the group to make sure that no one had any questions then he turned and headed back towards the Staples Center.

"I guess we follow," Hiten mused aloud as he stepped from his bike.

The others followed suit and removed their helmets before pushing their bikes towards the huge building where they would be competing. Once they were inside, they pushed their bikes around the take-off ramp and then backed them into the small slots in the order they were to go. Inu stayed with Kagome, Kouga with Sesshomaru, Ginta with Hakkaku, and Inuyasha stood with Bankotsu. The crowd seating started right behind them, which was where Miroku, Sango, and Izayoi sat. Kagome let Inu put her bike up onto a kick-stand while she went to the back of her slot to say hit to Izayoi.

"Hi!" She greeted.

"Hi sweetie," Izayoi said as they embraced over the railing. "This is all a little crazy," she said laughing.

Kagome looked around the arena for the first time. It was packed. It didn't look like there was an empty seat in the place. She didn't even want to get started at how many thousands of people were there.

"It's a little more than that," Kagome answered.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm okay. Starting to feel a little nervous, but I'm okay."

"You'll do fine." Izayoi smiled as she again pulled Kagome into a hug. "Make us girls proud."

"I'll try." Kagome laughed as she turned around and walked back to Inu's side.

She looked up at the platform they were supposed to start on, then followed it's easy decent to the take-off ramp, then over to the landing ramp, and up another wide ramp that led to another small platform.

"It's awfully short," Kagome observed.

"You've got to think about stopping as you land. That rundown ramp is short and you don't want to crash at the top of it."

She nodded before glancing down the row to where Sesshomaru was. It seemed like it was miles away even though it was only twenty-five feet. Her attention was drawn back to her left when someone touched her on the shoulder. She turned to see Koryu leaning over the plastic railing that separated their slots.

"I just wanted to tell you good luck," he said smiling.

"Thanks. You too," Kagome answered.

A reporter and cameraman suddenly appeared at the front of her slot.

"Kagome, can we get a quick interview?" The reporter asked.

Kagome nodded as she stepped forward. The reported stepped up to Kagome's side and nodded to the cameraman. Then Kagome noticed the interview was being shown on all the huge screens around the arena.

 _'Oh God. Don't let me look like a fool.'_ She thought.

"I'm here with Kagome Higurashi. She's the first woman to enter any motorcycle event here at the Monster Games. She's competing in a short few moments in Best Whip and then this afternoon in the Freestyle Motocross Novice division." She turned to Kagome. "This is huge! Are you nervous?"

Kagome laughed.

"I'd be lying if I told you no."

"You're dating Sesshomaru Taisho, does he know what you've got planned and vice-versa?"

"Not really. Not with this comp anyway."

"You're representing all of us girls out there today and riding against the biggest names in the sport."

"I just hope I don't wreck," Kagome said laughing.

"Good luck!" The reporter said smiling.

"Thank you," Kagome answered with a smile of her own.

And with that, the interview was apparently over. The reporter and crew left as Kagome turned around to Inu.

"God, that was nerve wracking. I didn't realize it was going to be shown here."

"Welcome to the lime light. You better get used to it," Inu answered, grinning.

Kagome shook her head as she started picking at the handlebar grips on her bike. She jumped when arms wrapped around her stomach and pulled her back into a strong chest.

"You won't wreck," Sesshomaru said into her ear before kissing the side of her neck.

"Thanks for the confidence," Kagome replied before turning in his arms. "I thought you had to stay down there."

"No. Well maybe, but what are they going to do about it?" He asked before leaning in to kiss her.

They pulled apart a few seconds later when Inu cleared his throat.

"For luck," Sesshomaru said softly.

Kagome smiled before she returned the kiss.

"For luck."

 **DIRT &DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT**

If Kagome had ever thought dirt bikes were loud before, it was nothing compared to now. With twelve of them running, with everyone torqueing on the throttle, inside the Staples Center, it was deafening. She sat on her bike in between Tohru and Koryu looking up at Bankotsu, who was positioned on top of the starting platform. Inu touched her shoulder and yelled something. She couldn't hear him but nodded anyway, silently wishing she had some demonic hearing at the moment. She had the worst case of butterflies she'd ever experienced in her life and intentionally slowed her breathing down in an attempt to calm down.

' _This is insane.'_ She thought as she waited for Bankotsu to go.

From where she was sitting, at the base of the take-off ramp, she would be able to watch his run. They had been told repeatedly not to hinder the flow of the line, so she knew she would have to keep her focus forward. But she was hopeful the line wouldn't move so much that she would miss Sesshomaru or Jakotsu's runs. As Bankotsu dropped down in for his first run she realized there was a huge LCD screen positioned on top of the starting platform, so she could see everyone's runs up until the time she had to go up the ramp. Bankotsu rode up the steal take-off ramp and easily flew over the hundred and twenty foot gap. He pulled his bike around, laying it almost flat. He looked like he was barely hanging onto it. His body was completely off the bike with just his right leg hooked over the seat. He pulled his body back onto the bike and used his weight to pull the bike back around and land. He flew down the landing ramp and up the other ramp. He had to twist the bike around to stop himself before crashing into the PVC railing at the top of it.

Even though the bikes were loud, you could still hear the crowd screaming over them. As soon as Bankotsu was down the end ramp, Aido was dropping down for his first whip. His was standard and less fantastic then Bankotsu's had been. Sesshomaru was next and Kagome watched nervously. He pulled his bike around in a whip to the right; no one had done that yet. The standard way was to the left. He landed and Kagome breathed a sigh of relief.

 _'How funny. I'm up in five riders and I'm still worrying about him.'_ She thought with a laugh.

The line moved forward again as Jakotsu dropped down the ramp. He pulled his bike around to the left effortlessly, laying it almost flat and just past ninety degrees. He landed and Kaname readied for his go. Kagome watched as he went, then Naraku. He didn't even attempt to pull his bike into a whip, just simply went over the ramp and landed. Hiten went next and pulled a standard whip. As Tohru went down the ramp Kagome rode up it and turned her bike around just in time to watch him land. She took steadying breaths as she waited for the guy with the headset on to tell her to go.

 _'Down. Up. Pull it around. Down. Break. Up.'_ Kagome repeated in her head several times.

The guy turned to her and everything went into slow motion. She let the clutch out and sifted into first, then second as she went down the starting ramp. As she approached the take-off ramp she shifted up to third, then fourth, and finally fifth. She had a good line and had a nice take off from the ramp. She pulled the bike around to the left and threw her body around much the way Bankotsu had. She righted herself and landed, almost immediately pulling on the front break and stomping on the rear break to slow herself down. She down-shifted and coast halfway up the opposite ramp before turning her bike in an arc and riding back down to fall into line. When she reached where she was supposed to stop, Inu all but knocked her from her bike when he smacked her on the back. He yelled and smiled so Kagome assumed she had done okay. She nodded and walked her bike forward as the line moved again. She had already missed both Koryu and Hakkaku's goes and Kain was just taking to the ramp.

Bankotsu was up again and he pulled his bike around similar to his last run, but at a slightly further angle. Aido went and pulled a whip that looked like Bankotsu's first. Sesshomaru dropped in for his second run and pulled a whip to the left this time, which would no doubt give him a lead in points. So far he was the only one that was throwing whips to the left and the right, thus increasing the difficulty. Kagome watched the big screen as Jakotsu started down the ramp. Once he was in the air he pulled his bike around to the point that he was almost facing the starting ramp before pulling it back around and landing.

"How the hell can he do that?" Kagome wondered in awe.

She then noticed Naraku had moved up the ramp so she moved forward before looking back to the screen. This run he performed a whip, but it wasn't anything spectacular. Hiten went next and did a flatter, more angled whip. Kagome's heart began pounding harder again as Tohru went and she rode up the ramp for the second time. She turned her bike around and waited. The guy waved her forward and she again rode down the starting ramp and up the take-off ramp. She pulled the bike around in the same whip as before and landed cleanly. She returned to the line and Inu showed up at her side again. He motioned with his hands to show her what he wanted this time. He motioned for her to lay the bike down more and angle it back further. Kagome nodded her understanding and adjusted the velcro closures on her gloves tighter. The line moved even quicker this round and it seemed like before she could blink she was up again. She was in the rhythm of things this time and wasted no time in getting ready and dropping down for her last run. When she was done this time she rode back to her slot and hopped off her bike, letting Inu back it in for her as she tore off her helmet.

"That was so much fun! I can't believe I just did that! I had never taken that ramp before. Do you think they'll care if I go down to Sess?" She rattled out faster than Inu could comprehend.

"Sure," he hollered back over the noise of the bikes and the crowd.

She hung her helmet on her handlebars and jogged down to Sesshomaru's slot the best she could since she was wearing heavy motorcycle boots. She jumped into his arms, smiling as she hugged him.

"You looked great!" She praised.

"So did you," he answered. "It's intense huh?"

She nodded vigorously.

"I didn't know you could throw to the left and right," she teased.

"I needed something to have a chance against Jakotsu," Sesshomaru admitted with a laugh.

They turned when Kouga showed up.

"Great job Kags!" He said pulling her from Sesshomaru's grasp to hug her. "I'm glad I got your autograph _before_ you became famous."

"Nerd," she said as she pushed him away.

"Those were some nice whips Kaggie," Jakotsu said leaning over the railing separated his and Sesshomaru's slots.

Kagome moved towards him and allowed him to pull her into a hug.

"Yours were absolutely sick! How the frick do you do that? It's inhuman."

Jakotsu shrugged as he let her go.

"It just happens."

"We've got the results," the voice of the announcer came over the speakers of the arena.

There were several cameramen running around so they could get shots of the winners.

"Taking the gold is...Jakotsu!" The announcer yelled and the people in the crowd began cheering.

Kagome still being as close as she was to him; was pulled into another bone-crushing hug. He received high-fives and handshakes from Kouga and Sesshomaru.

"The silver medal goes to...Sesshomaru!" The announcer yelled sending the crowed into an even larger frenzy.

Kagome jumped into his arms for the second time in ten minutes and kissed him.

"Whoa there. You'd think she had won silver," Kouga commented.

"And the bronze will be around the neck of Bankotsu!"

"You guys took the podium!" Kagome announced excitedly.

"Hopefully that will be a recurring theme this weekend," Sesshomaru said.

They watched as the rest of the placings were listed on the huge LCD screen above the starting platform. Jakotsu flashed at the top, with Sesshomaru below him, then Bankotsu. Tohru was placed fourth, Aido fifth, Hiten sixth, Koryu seventh, Kain eighth, Kagome ninth, Kaname tenth, Hakkaku eleventh, and Naraku finished twelfth.

"Ninth!" Kagome squealed. "I finished _ninth_!"

She was back in Sesshomaru's arms before anyone could blink.

The guy with the headset from earlier came by and directed Jakotsu and Sesshomaru to go to the top of the starting platform where they would be receiving their medals along with Bankotsu. Kagome stayed with Kouga while the others climbed up to ramp. Inu soon appeared, pushing Kagome's bike towards the exit of the arena.

"Congrats kiddo! You've got a half hour until the free ride to warm up for your next comp," He said, stopping briefly.

"Okay." She nodded.

Kagome stayed with Kouga just long enough to watch Sesshomaru get his medal, and then walked with Hiten and Hakkaku as they pushed their bikes out of the arena.

 **DIRT &DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT**

"This is a little intimidating," Kagome said as she sat astride her bike at the top of the starting platform for the Freestyle competitions.

"I know," Sesshomaru admitted, knowing Kagome had never dropped off anything like it before. "It isn't a big deal though."

Kagome eyed the bottom of the platform. It sloped down for about ten feet before it ended. There was a three foot wide lip ramp at its center where she was supposed to take off from and then land on another ramp below it. Between the two ramps there was a five foot drop and an eight foot gap.

"Don't think about it. Just go down it," Inu instructed, refusing to coddle her along. "Get your helmet on and get out there."

Kagome nodded before she popped her neck and rolled her shoulders. She looked over at Inuyasha who was standing on the platform below her holding her goggles and gloves. She snapped her fingers twice and smiled.

"Gloves and goggles please," she said holding out her hand.

Inuyasha continued his conversation with Ginta and glanced in Kagome's direction before throwing her goggles. They barely missed hitting her head as she dodged them and Kouga, who was standing to her right, caught them.

"What the hell?!" She cried glaring down at Inuyasha.

"You were supposed to catch them," he offered with a shrug.

"With my face?!" She asked grabbing the goggles from Kouga.

Inuyasha shook his head and tossed her gloves into Inu's waiting hands. As Kagome pulled her helmet on, she mumbled about throwing it at Inuyasha.

"Here," Inu said as he handed Kagome her gloves.

She set them down on the seat of her bike before she pulled her goggles on.

"Don't give away your tricks," Sesshomaru instructed. "Let them all think the best you've got is something like a Heel Clicker. I don't want to see any Rock Solids, Cliffhangers, and so on."

"How am I supposed to get ready for the comp, if I'm not practicing the right tricks?"

"This is nothing more than an opportunity to get a feel for the course and loosen up. Pop over the gap a few times. Make sure you hit that big steel ramp," Inu said squeezing her shoulder slightly as she pulled on her gloves.

Kagome caught his deeper meaning. She would need to do her back flip off of that ramp so she better get comfortable with it before then.

"Okay," Kagome began as she clapped her hands together. "Don't break my neck trying to get off this crazy platform. No good tricks. Hit the gap. Hit the big 'ol steel. I think I got it."

Kagome then reached down and pulled out the kick-starter on her bike. She placed her boot on top of it and gave one good hop before slamming all her weight down and the bike kicked to life. She took a couple of deep breaths as her bike warmed up a little. Then she shifted into first and let the clutch out, rolled down the ramp, off the lip, and landed on the other ramp before riding out onto the dirt.

"Why was she so nervous about that?" Kouga wondered aloud.

"She picks oddest things sometimes," Inu said as they all started down the steps to the lower platform.

Inu and Sesshomaru stayed up on the second platform with Inuyasha, while Kouga and Jakotsu went down to the dirt to stand with some of the other guys that were waiting for their turn at warming up. Kagome took it easy as she had been told to. She rode around the ramps several times before taking one. She didn't perform any tricks other than a whip or two as she hit every ramp. She decided that it was time to take her first run at the dirt to dirt hundred foot gap. She got a good take off and once she was in the air pulled off a Stripper. She landed long and flat, almost at the base of the landing ramp. Her suspension popped her forward on the bike and she came off over the handlebars. She landed awkwardly and the bike rolled over her before it landed on its side. Kouga ran forward as soon as he noticed she was going to crash, with Jakotsu close behind. Sesshomaru jumped off the platform and started running towards her as well. Tohru, who was standing near where Kouga and Jakotsu had been, shook his head.

"That chick doesn't belong here," he said coolly.

"That could have happened to anyone," Koryu defended her. "She held her own in Best Whip."

"So she can whip the bike around? That doesn't mean she belongs out here in FMX."

"You talk like she finished last," Koryu snorted. "I'm gonna laugh when she kicks all our asses."

"It'll be a cold day in hell when some chick beats me," Tohru said as he kick-started his bike.

Koryu shook his head and looked across the course where Kouga and Sesshomaru were helping Kagome off the ground.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sesshomaru asked as he looked her over.

Kagome doubled over to brush the dirt off her pants.

"That sucked!" She hissed. "I took a tire to the crotch."

Kouga and Sesshomaru looked at each other. They couldn't have heard her say what it had sounded like. Could they?

"You what?" Sesshomaru asked.

"The tire hit me in the crotch as I fell off," she clarified.

"At least it's rubber," Kouga said laughing.

The others started laughing. Kagome tried not to, but soon burst into laughter as well.

"Good thing you've only got lady bits," Jakotsu added.

"Trust you to make a comment like that," Kagome said as she turned to him since he was holding up her bike. "Is it okay?"

"I don't see anything broken or missing," he answered.

Kagome nodded happily before she took the bike from him and hopped on it.

"I can't believe I crashed," she complained as she kick-started her bike.

"At least it was now and not in the final round of the comp. Don't go in to the gap so hot," Sesshomaru said as he brushed some dirt from her back.

"Chill out," Kouga added.

Kagome nodded before she rode off.

"It's only going to get worse for her when there's a crowd," Jakotsu said concerned.

"She'll have to block it out," Sesshomaru said quickly.

"We better get out of the way," Kouga warned. "I think she's taking the gap again."

They scattered out of the way as Kagome sailed over the gap. She performed another Stripper and this time landed it cleanly. She was still a little long, but not by much and the bounce wasn't as severe so she was able to ride off and hit the next ramp. She rode around for another twenty minutes getting the basic layout of where she wanted to go for her trick list. She killed her bike and coasted into where everyone was waiting.

"How do you feel?" Inu asked.

"Fine," Kagome answered as she took off her helmet.

She turned to watch as Ginta drop in off the starting ramp.

"What did we learn?" Inu asked in a teasing tone.

Kagome laughed.

"Don't go into the gap like I'm trying to make a record breaking distance jump?" She asked in a childish tone.

Inu shook his head.

"Go eat something and relax before you have to change. We'll look over your bike to make sure you didn't mangle something Jakotsu missed."

Kagome stepped from her bike and left it in the very capable hands of Inu and Sesshomaru while she left to do as she was told, accompanied by Kouga, Inuyasha, and Jakotsu.

 **DIRT &DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT&DIRT**

Jakotsu leaned against the wall outside Kagome's locker room waiting for her to finish changing. Kouga and Inuyasha had gone to get Kagome's camera from Sesshomaru's truck, since she had forgotten it and insisted they go get it for her. The door finally opened after twenty minutes and Kagome stepped out into the hallway. She spotted Jakotsu on her right and turned to face him.

"Well?" She asked holding her arms out away from her body.

Jakotsu smiled.

"Nice," he said as he motioned for her to turn around.

She complied so he could get the full effect of her gear. Her motocross pants were deep blue, but they had a denim look to them. The Thor logos running down the outside of her thighs were in white. Her jersey was a red and blue plaid with the collar and cuffs in white. All of the Thor logos were in white as well. The overall effect was comical. She looked like a lumberjack.

"What do you think?" Kagome asked, wanting more of a comment than 'nice'.

"You're the cutest little lumberjack I ever did see," Jakotsu cooed, stepping forward to take her by the arm.

"So, it really looks okay?"

"It looks great. It's definitely not like anything anyone else will be wearing," he assured her as he led her towards the exit.

Kagome got several double takes as she made her way through the crowd and back towards the FMX course. The first person from their group they met was Bankotsu. He was on his way back to the course also.

"Kagome?" He asked as he took in her gear. "You look...interesting. What are you supposed to be, a lumberjack?"

"Yeah," she chirped as the three of them continued forward. "I wanted something funny."

"Mission accomplished," Bankotsu replied with a chuckle.

They walked up to the competitor's entrance and showed their passes, the security guard allowed them to pass and they walked through a tent towards where the other riders would be waiting. Inu noticed her first and started laughing which caught Sesshomaru's attention. He shook his head.

"What? You don't like it?" Kagome asked as she closed the distance between them.

"When you told me you were having something made, I thought it would be all pink and girly. Not something like that... What is it supposed to be anyway?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I'm told it looks something like what a lumberjack would wear."

"..."

"You know what?" She asked as she playfully shoved his chest. "I reject your criticism of my outfit."

"I didn't criticize it," he said as he pulled her into his arms. "But I think I would have preferred you in something hot pink over that." He leaned in so he could whisper in her ear. "Or nothing at all."

Kagome blushed and pulled away from him.

"I'm sure every guy in the arena would have preferred _that_ ," she said as she jabbed him in the ribs.

"Well if it isn't our sexy little lumberjack," Kouga greeted from behind her.

She turned around and he nodded his approval.

"It turned out a lot better than the sketches looked. Here's your camera."

He handed her camera to her and she in turn handed it to Jakotsu, making him its official keeper.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome shook her head in confusion.

"...no?" She asked slowly.

"Jeez. Your ax? No lumberjack's complete without one," he said laughing.

"Ha. Ha." Kagome said shaking her head. "How the hell am I supposed to hold an ax and do a Stripper?"

Inuyasha shrugged.

"It would be cool though if you had one when you were doing a Cliffhanger."

"Or a Rock Solid," Hiten added.

"You're both weirdos," Kagome mumbled.

"Your black and hot pink helmet with the pink goggles is going to clash with the rest of your look though," Jakotsu said with a slight frown.

"I know. It throws off the rugged look it has going," replied Kagome. "But I had to keep some pink somewhere," she joked, looking up at Sesshomaru with a wink.

"Good thing there aren't any trees out on the course," Inu said laughing. "You'd be stopping in the middle of your run to cut them down."

"Okay. Enough with the lumberjack jokes!" Kagome yelled, feigning anger.

Thousands of people were beginning to file into the open-air arena in preparation for the competition to begin. Cameramen were scrambling all over the course to get good angles for filming. The voice of the announcer came over the sound system, calling all of the riders to the tent below the starting platform to draw their positions. Kagome grabbed Sesshomaru's hand and the two headed over in that direction with Ginta and Hakkaku close behind.

After a brief meeting about rules and regulations, the five competitors drew numbers to find out where they would start. Unlike in the Open Freestyle Motocross, that's the order they would ride in for both rounds. Hakkaku drew first and he would be going second. Tohru drew next and he would be going first and he seemed a little displeased about it. Ginta followed him and he drew the third starting position. Koryu drew the fourth spot leaving Kagome in fifth, which is the position she had been hoping to receive. It meant that other than Ginta and Hakkaku, no one would know what she was capable of until the final round and by then it would be too late to pull out any tricks that were more difficult in order to beat her. This was of course _if_ she could land her back flip in the final round. Everything hinged on that _one_ trick. If she landed it, gold would most likely be hers. If she crashed...she pushed the thought from her mind. She was going to land it.

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Kagome and the other riders that were in the Novice FMX stood under a tent with their bikes on kickstands waiting for the second, and final, round of their event to start. The same guy that had been in charge of organizing everyone in the Best Whip was racing around in the last final minutes.

"Tohru! Get up on the starting platform. Two minutes until we're live!" He yelled as he waved his clip board around above his head.

Their current placings were shown on a massive LCD screen above the starting platform. Tohru was leading the pack with Koryu only two points behind. Ginta was third, Kagome was fourth, and Hakkaku was sitting in fifth. Tohru pulled his bike off of its stand and hopped on it before starting it and riding out from under the tent. He stopped briefly to pull his helmet on and then continued towards the starting platform. Kagome and Hakkaku had both played it safe in their first rounds, while Tohru and Koryu had gone all out. They were close to ten points ahead of Kagome and were no doubt feeling quite safe with their lead. Sesshomaru had predicted they would opt for their same trick lists and as Tohru rode around the course towards his first ramp, it didn't look like he would be wrong in his assumption.

Tohru's first trick was a Carolla which he followed with a Scorpion, where his feet almost touched the handlebars. Kagome and the others watched with mild interest as he went through the course. His last trick was a Rock Solid that he barely managed to hold long enough for it to qualify. He rode towards the exit of the course where they were supposed to stop and wait to receive their scores. Kagome had earlier dubbed it 'the scoring station'. As he waited, Hakkaku made his way up to the starting platform and readied for his second go. Tohru's score was lower than his first, so it was dropped and he remained the leader.

Hakkaku dropped off the starting platform and rode around the outside of the course twice, letting his bike warm up a little more before he committed to his first ramp. His trick list varied slightly from his first round and he started with a Tsunami. He hadn't divulged to the group if he was planning on attempting a back flip or not, so they all paid close attention. When he got to his sixth trick, he committed himself for one. He rocketed towards the largest steal ramp and pulled the bike around in what was easily the best back flip he had ever done. His landing was a little long and flat, but he held on and went for another ramp preforming a Kiss Of Death. The crowd went insane! It was the first time anyone had ever seen someone other than Sesshomaru, land a back flip in a competition. Everyone in the tent was clapping and shouting. Kouga and Bankotsu were already headed out onto the course in preparation of meeting him at 'the scoring station'. After he landed a textbook Cordova he rode around the course twice pumping his fist in the air in triumph. When he finally made it to 'the scoring station', Kouga slapped him on the back several times while Bankotsu grabbed both sides of his helmet and shook his head back and forth shouting excitedly.

 _'If they do that to me...I'll kill them.'_ Kagome thought as she watched the screen for Hakkaku's score.

It finally appeared and it knocked Tohru down to second place. The crowd cheered as Hakkaku hopped from his bike and pushed it towards the area that was designated for the current leader. Ginta wasted no time in starting once he was given the go-ahead. He stuck to the basics and gave a solid run, keeping him in third place. Koryu then went and completed the same trick list as he had in the first round with the exception of his final trick which was a Side Grab that he landed one-handed. His score was enough to knock Ginta from third. Kagome sat astride her bike on top of the starting platform with Sesshomaru on her left and Inu on her right. Inu tapped on the visor of her helmet.

"Stay relaxed. Don't forget to breathe," he offered his words of wisdom.

Sesshomaru gently squeezed her upper arm.

"Remember to back off on the throttle a little. You were still a little hot into some of the ramps in the first round."

Kagome nodded and took several deep breaths. The guy at the edge of the platform waved to get her attention and then motioned for her to go. She shifted into gear and dropped down the starting ramp for the last time. She rode around the course once and screamed her bike out on the long empty stretch in the center, making absolutely sure her bike was warmed up. She took her first ramp and preformed a Cliffhanger that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Sesshomaru and everyone had gone down to 'the scoring station' to wait for her. Sesshomaru and Inu watched in silence while everyone else shouted encouraging words. Even Koryu joined in.

"That's sick! I had a feeling she was holding back," he said to Kouga.

"You have no idea what she's capable of," Kouga relied back slyly.

Kagome's second trick was a One Handed Seat Grab with an Indian Air and then she looped around to the hundred foot gap and pulled off a Stripper. She was doing well on time as a result of cutting corners and taking shorter runs to the ramps. Her fourth trick was a Dead Body, which made Inu smile.

"She added it," he said to himself.

For her fifth trick, off the larger steel ramp, she performed a Turn Table. She did a Bar Hop but pulled both of her feet to the left and let go of the handlebars with her left and allowing her legs to fall to the side of the bike. Instead of pulling her right leg back over the seat, she left it on the left side and sat down, turning the landing into a Side-Saddle Lander. Once she was safely back on the ground, she pulled her right leg back over the bike and started for the next ramp. Her sixth trick was a Rock Solid that scared the crap out of everyone watching. Even more so to those that knew she had recently crashed practicing the trick at home. She held her body above the bike for so long that the guys started to worry she wouldn't make it back on in time to land.

"She's not going to get back. She's not going to get back!" Kouga yelled and was about to run forward to rush to her side after the impending crash when Inu caught the back of his shirt.

"Calm down. She's going to make it," he said calmly.

Kagome grabbed the seat of the bike at the last possible second and pulled her body back onto it. She raced towards off towards the small dirt to dirt ramp set and pulled off a Shaolin, completing her seventh trick. Her eighth was a Stalefish and she still had twenty seconds to spare on the clock. She took her time and set herself up for the large steal ramp. Sesshomaru grabbed Inu's arm.

"What is she doing?" He asked, but the question was mostly directed towards himself.

Kagome shifted through her gears and took the well grooved line towards the ramp. She flew up the ramp but to her, it felt like time had slowed down to an unbearably slow pace. She eased herself forward and then pulled back, shifting her weight over the back of the bike and pulled it around in the arc of a back flip. She made sure to keep her eyes glued to the ground the entire time and as a result, landed the trick cleanly. If anyone thought the crowd was insane before, their volume went up double of what it had been when Hakkaku landed his back flip.

"Oh my God!" Bankotsu yelled.

"Did she just?" Hiten asked.

"Holy shit!" Inuyasha gasped.

Sesshomaru stood dumbfounded, too shocked to say anything as Kagome jumped off her bike near the center of the course. He turned to Inu just as he took off in a sprint with Kouga towards Kagome. Eventually everyone else followed and he snapped out of it enough to run over there himself. Kagome ripped her helmet off and was hoisting it above her head screaming. When she caught movement out of the corner of her eye she turned and was tackled by Kouga, then Inuyasha. Soon everyone joined in the dog pile, until Kouga and Inu hoisted Kagome up onto their shoulders. She laughed throwing her hands into the air. Then she realized she hadn't seen someone important in the group. She looked around frantically until she spotted Sesshomaru and then slid from her perch. She took two steps and threw herself into his arms, locking hers around his neck and her legs around his hips as she kissed him. The kiss was awkward and forceful due to her excitement and the fact that she was running on a ton of adrenaline at the moment.

"I just landed a _back flip_!" She cried.

"I know," Sesshomaru replied smiling.

"Oh my gosh!" She said suddenly and pulled away from him slightly. "Are you mad?"

He shook his head.

"No. It was awesome!" He yelled over the crowd.

Truth be told, he was torn between being happy and being pissed as hell. He knew his father was behind the whole thing, but dealing with that issue could wait...for now. Jakotsu grabbed Kagome's arm.

"Look! They're showing a replay," he said pointing towards the LCD screen.

Kagome went silent as she watched herself pull off the back flip in slow motion.

"That was _awesome_!" She cried and then hugged the next closest person, which was Hiten.

With her distracted, Sesshomaru glared at his father who shrugged and pointed at Kouga and Inuyasha. Kouga noticed the look his cousin was giving him and decided to play innocent.

"Whoa! So when did you teach her that?" He asked.

Sesshomaru laughed and smiled.

"Oh. It wasn't me," he answered.

"Huh? Then where did she learn it?"

"Gee. I wonder," Sesshomaru said sarcastically.

"Come on. She's still breathing. She's still walking around on two legs..." Kouga trailed off as he began to slowly back away.

"The same will not be said for you shortly," Sesshomaru said as he advanced on Kouga.

Inu grabbed his arm.

"Don't you think this can wait until she's done celebrating?" He asked.

The crowed let out another loud cheer and everyone's attention was again drawn to the LCD screen. There was a picture of Kagome and beneath her there was a banner that said 'Gold Medal Winner!'. Kagome screamed and jumped onto Inuyasha, who lost his balance and they both fell to the ground in an awkward heap.

"I won! I WON!" She screamed.

"Ow! Tone it down a little will ya?" Inuyasha asked in mock annoyance. "I'm bleeding from the ears here."

"I just won a gold medal. I'll scream in your ear IF I WANT TO!" She laughed.

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A/N: Day one of the Monster Games is over! Hopefully it was as much fun to read as it was to write. ;) Now I have to warn you all. (if you watch these events, you'll know this already) I've tweaked things around at the competition so they fit my story better. Ah, the pluses of fiction! So no, that's not exactly how a Best Whip competition goes and no, that's not how a Novice FMX class goes. What am I talking about? Novice FMX doesn't even exist! (at least not at that level...I'm not sure about other ones. Listen to me talking as if the Monster Games are real too. Pft!) Kagome's gear looks A LOT like what Travis Pastrana wore at the X-Games when he did his double back flip.

 **Turntable** – When the rider does a 'Bar Hop', then moves both feet to one side, letting go of one hand, then remounting the bike.


	20. LIFT THE LIMIT

**Dirt Chapter 20: LIFT THE LIMIT**

Kagome had refused to take her medal off for anyone or anything once it had been placed around her neck. Hundreds of photos had been taken with her, Sesshomaru, Bankotsu, Hakkaku, and Jakotsu sporting their medals from day one of the Monster Games. Their story was quickly becoming the highlight of the games; with them practically sweeping both podiums that day. Not to mention Kagome making history being the first female to ever compete in motocross at the games and ****her flawless back flip. The video of her run was replayed on near every channel on TV and would no doubt be one of the hottest videos on YouTube come the following day. After the required press conference, the gang headed out for a celebratory dinner and then found a local club. With everyone buying Kagome drinks, it wasn't long before she was on the verge of being drunk. She would drag anyone within arm's reach out onto the dance floor with her and the only person that Sesshomaru allowed to stay with her for longer than ten seconds, other than himself, was Jakotsu. When she began to fall victim to Kouga and Inuyasha's suggestions, attempting to dance on the bar for instance, Sesshomaru decided it would be best if they called it a night.

Sesshomaru found himself in their hotel room, watching Kagome as she sauntered in from the bathroom in nothing more than her gold medal and a pair of blue boy shorts. He couldn't help but chuckle. Apparently the medal wasn't going to leave her neck for a _very_ long time. She bounced in an oh-so-tempting way towards the bed where Sesshomaru was lounging with his back against the headboard. She gracefully hopped onto the bed before snuggling up to his side. He reached across and ran a finger down the medal that was resting in between her breasts.

"Are you ever going to take this off?" He asked teasingly.

"It's my first medal!" She slurred, playfully shoving against his bare chest with one hand. "Can't I at least keep it on until the morning?" She whined.

"As long as it's all you keep on," he answered with a smirk.

"Where's yours?" She asked, oblivious to his suggestive comment.

"Right there," he answered pointing to the bedside table.

"Yours is only silver," she teased. "Mine's gooooold."

Sesshomaru laughed.

"And _you_ are drunk."

"Mmm...notuh," she defended herself with a goofy grin.

Faster than he thought possible in her inebriated state, she threw a leg over his she was straddling his lap. She placed both hands on his chest as she leaned forward pressing her lips to his in a sloppy kiss. His hands gripped her slim waist as he deepened the kiss. She pulled away giggling, leaving him less than satisfied. She gave him a lop-sided grin when she noticed his disappointed look. Pouting her lip, she batted her eyes.

"You've gotta be up early in the morning," she said as she cupped the sides of his face.

If she hadn't been holding onto his face, he would have shaken his head.

"And there's people next door," she added.

He growled at her as he gripped her hands, pulling them back to his chest and leaned forward to kiss her once more. She pulled away to take in a shuddering breath and he trailed kisses down her throat. With her distracted, he began to lift her medal from around her neck. The thing was in his way. She grabbed onto his hand in protest but quickly lost her will to fight him as his mouth latched onto one of her breasts. Her head fell back as she arched into him, forcing him to slide a hand up her back to support her. Once he had removed her medal, his other hand also found a securing hold on her back. She moaned softly and rolled her hips against his causing them both to gasp at the sensation the movement had caused.

"...need...more," she panted as she rocked against him again.

He mumbled a reply against her neck before slipping his hands down to cup her butt, the movement causing more friction between them with every roll of her hips. With practiced ease, he rolled them over to that she was pressed against the mattress with him hovering above her. He then gripped her hips and pulled her further down the bed, away from the headboard. The quick movement caused her to become slightly dizzy and she giggled, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead.

"Sess...maru," she managed to gasp when she felt Sesshomaru's hands sliding down her thighs as he worked on relieving her of her last article of clothing.

He grinned when he heard the broken version of his name leaving her lips. Her hands found his back as he crawled his way up her body so that he could kiss her again. Her finger tips raked down his back as he thrust forward quickly. Her head fell back against the bed, breaking the contact of their lips and she whimpered with the sudden sensation of him filling her. His careful thrusts soon gave way to more urgent ones as Kagome began thrusting her hips up to meet his. Supporting himself on one elbow, his other hand slid down her thigh before grabbing onto the back of her knee and lifting her right leg so that it rested on his shoulder. Kagome cried out a wordless exclamation as he drove himself deeper and quicker than before. He vaguely noticed that she was more vocal than usual, which caused him to speed up his already quickened pace. Each moan and whimper fueled him on, pressing them closer to their peak. She screamed out her ecstasy as the built-up tension finally snapped, digging her nails into his back. His head fell to her shoulder as she pushed him over the edge as well. They lay there panting for several minutes before Sesshomaru let her leg slip from his shoulder and rolled onto his side, pulling Kagome with him. She moaned with contentment and snuggled closer to his warmth. She drifted off to sleep soon after, leaving Sesshomaru awake to wonder if Kouga and Inuyasha were passed out in the next room or if they had heard them.

 _'I'll no doubt hear about it tomorrow if they did.'_ He thought as he absently stroked Kagome's hair.

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The alarm on Sesshomaru's cell phone went off at the un-Godly hour of seven am. At least that's what Kagome was cursing at him as she pulled the covers back over her head. She closed her eyes tightly trying to ward off the on-coming headache. Sesshomaru showered and dressed before returning to the bed. He lay down next to her and tugged the sheets down to uncover her face. He placed a soft kiss against her temple before rubbing her shoulder.

"I have to go. But I'm sure Inuyasha and Kouga are in worse shape than you, so if you want to stay in bed and come over later with them, you can," he offered.

"I _so_ don't want to leave this bed yet," Kagome groaned, still not opening her eyes.

"You don't have to. I won't ride until close to eleven. Get some more sleep. Eat something healthy for a change, and I'll see you when you get over there."

She mumbled her 'thanks' and he reluctantly pushed himself from her side. Getting back into bed with her sounded a whole lot more appealing than going to catch an early practice session. With an irritable sigh, he grabbed his wallet, cell phone, and room key off the bedside table and headed for the door.

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Kagome, Inuyasha, and Kouga arrived at the Staples Center just as Sesshomaru, Hiten, and Bankotsu were warming up their bikes for Step Up. After watching them ride around for a few minutes they headed inside to get the guys ready for the competition. They pushed the bikes into the arena and around the single dirt jump, ending up at the staging slots just like the previous day for Best Whip. This time however, there were only five slots instead of the twelve that were needed for Best Whip. Earlier in the morning the guys had drawn randomly for their starting positions. Sesshomaru would be going first, followed by Kaname, Hiten, Bankotsu, and finally Aido.

Kagome eyed the horizontal pole set at twenty-eight feet to start and was glad that Inu hadn't entered her in the event. The riders had to start on flat ground a mere twenty feet away, ride up the dirt jump, get over the unstable pole, and land on the other side. This year a new rule had been instated clarifying that the riders had to ride their bikes away from the ramp after landing. This had been a result of contestants making it over the height then crashing during the landing. This new rule meant that the height of the pole couldn't get so drastic that the riders would be risking serious injury to get over it. The pole was propped between two vertical poles, much like a high-jump. If you hit the pole, it was coming down. The initial height of twenty-eight feet started above the lip of the jump and would be raised in six inch incriminates each round until there was only one rider that could make it over that height. Each rider had two attempts to make it over each designated height before becoming eliminated.

They didn't wait long before they were told to start their bikes and ready themselves for round one. Sesshomaru rode his bike over to the starting area and backed his bike up until it just about hit the metal plate that designated the twenty foot mark. Kagome stayed in his staging slot while Kouga went with Sesshomaru, standing just off to the left of him. He revved his bike a couple of times before letting the clutch out and shifting quickly through the gears as he approached the jump. He sailed up the almost vertical lip and over the pole with feet to spare, before landing on the opposite side and back around towards his staging slot. Kagome greeted him with a smile.

"That looked easy," she commented over the loud screaming of Kaname's bike.

"It was. That ramp is solid," Sesshomaru agreed.

"It's not going to stay that way," Kouga said with an amused smirk.

This was the first time Sesshomaru had ever entered Step Up, while Kouga had entered in it many time at lesser events. The more times the riders went up the jump, the more the ramp would disintegrate and the more loose dirt would accumulate at the base. This would throw off the traction of the bike and cause the jump to be more difficult.

"Hopefully no one will have to take that many do-overs," Kagome said as Kaname made it over the pole as well.

"Things will start getting interesting when we reach the thirty foot mark," Sesshomaru predicted.

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Things did indeed get interesting once they hit the thirty foot mark. Knocking down the pole on his first attempt, Aido was now waiting for the crew to reset the pole so he could take his second attempt at that height.

"Think he'll make it?" Kagome asked Kouga without taking her eyes off Aido.

"No," Kouga answered. "His back wheel wasn't anywhere close to getting over the pole."

Aido took off towards the jump and this time his front wheel knocked down the pole, becoming the first eliminated from the competition.

"One down finally," Sesshomaru mumbled.

"You're up!" The coordinator yelled pointing at Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru made his way to the starting area for the sixth time in twenty minutes. He wasted little time in getting settled and making his run. Again he sailed over the pole without coming close to touching it. He followed the same pattern as he had all morning and headed back to his staging slot. Kaname was heading for the jump just as he backed his bike into his slot. He too made it over the pole that was now set at thirty-foot-six-inches.

"You've easily got thirty-four feet," Kouga mentioned while they watched Hiten get ready for his run.

"That'll depend on the jump. That groove is getting deep," Sesshomaru said with a slight shake of his head.

"I still think you'll be okay," Kouga said with confidence.

Hiten too made it over the pole on his first attempt which brought Bankotsu to the line. His run was text book and he easily made it over the pole with at least five feet to spare. He landed hard but let his body roll with the bounce of the bike and rode off from the landing ramp.

"That was close," Kagome said taking a deep breath.

"He's getting over confident," Sesshomaru commented.

With everyone making it over the pole it moved up to thirty-one feet. Things continued to run smoothly with everyone making it over on their first attempt. At thirty-four feet, Kaname tapped the pole on his first attempt, forcing him to take a second in which he hit the pole again eliminating him from the competition. Hiten went as soon as the pole was set again and also hit the pole with his back wheel as his bike was coming back down. He rode past everyone and readied himself for his second attempt. With little hesitation, he went for it again and again took down the pole with his rear wheel.

"Now what?" Kagome asked realizing that Kaname and Hiten were tied for the bronze medal. "Do have to do a ride off or something?"

"Dunno," Kouga answered with a shrug.

The coordinator called Sesshomaru forward for his first attempt at thirty-four feet six inches. He took his first attempt and hit the pole with his rear wheel knocking it down. Kouga ran to his side as he readied for his second attempt and they reset the pole.

"Whip over the top," Kouga suggested.

Sesshomaru nodded as he took in his cousin's advice. Something he would normally never do, but considering the situation he figured what the heck? He again took to the jump and as he neared the pole he pulled his weight and whipped the bike slightly. He had the height, but not the distance and again tapped the pole with his rear wheel, bouncing it out of the the hooks that held it in place. He rode back to his staging slot where Kouga and Kagome were waiting.

"It's not over yet," Kagome offered. "Bankotsu still has to make it over."

"There's just not enough traction at the base," Sesshomaru complained as he shut off his bike.

Bankotsu took his first run and he too hit the pole with his back wheel. Frustrated, he quickly rode back to the starting area and waiting for the coordinator to give him the green light to make his second attempt. Everyone in the arena held their breath as he sped to and up the jump. If he made it over that was it. He was the gold medal winner. If he didn't, then he and Sesshomaru would each get another go at the current hight until one of them could make it over. Bankotsu used Sesshomaru tactic of whipping his bike slightly, but unlike Sesshomaru he had the distance and made it over the pole and landed. He whipped his head around to see if the pole was still up and when he saw that it was he threw his fist in the air as the crowd went crazy.

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Everyone was waiting for Bankotsu and Sesshomaru to step off the podium after receiving their medals so they could grab something for lunch before the guys had to be back to warm up for the Open Freestyle Moto-X. Sesshomaru came down before Bankotsu and as he made his way down the steps of the stage, he pulled his medal from his neck. He then handed it to Inu, since he and Izayoi were heading back to the hotel for lunch, they could keep his medal in their room where it would be safer.

"Are you sure you don't want to wear it?" Kagome asked looking from Inu to Sesshomaru.

"Yes," Sesshomaru answered with a smirk. "Unlike you, I don't feel the need to have the heavy thing around my neck all day...and night."

Kagome blushed slightly.

"Silver seems to be your color," she teased. "Too bad mine's gold or we could have matched."

"Too bad you didn't medal in both of your events. Then we both could have had two medals," he teased as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Hey! There were twelve riders in Best Whip!" Kagome shouted.

"Yeah and I happened to get silver in it. Where did you place again? As I recall, it was ninth."

"Okay mister Big Shot! Let's see if you medal in FMX then," Kagome said as she pushed Sesshomaru away from her.

"Is that a challenge?" Sesshomaru asked amused.

"Yeah! I bet that you won't medal in FMX," Kagome said folding her arms across her chest.

"And if I do, what do I win?"

"...I'll have to think about it."

"Shouldn't I get to decide?" Sesshomaru asked moving closer to her again.

"I...guess. Then I get to decide what I get when I win."

"Do you hear yourself?" Inuyasha asked Kagome, shaking his head.

Kagome turned towards him and Sesshomaru took the opportunity to snake his arm around her waist once more.

"You're betting against him to medal in FMX; his event. No one beats him in FMX unless he crashes or something," Inuyasha explained.

"So in essence, you're betting that he'll crash," Kouga finished.

"I...no. I don't want him to crash. I just want him not to medal."

"You are all insane," Inu said, breaking into the conversation. "Sesshomaru is going to win, unless there's some other rider that can throw down back flip variations. Kagome, you should be really happy that you placed better than twelfth in Best Whip. Stop your childish bickering on literally the stupidest subject you've brought up thus far this morning and go eat!"


	21. INSANITY AT ITS HIGHEST LEVEL

**Chapter 21: INSANITY AT ITS HIGHEST LEVEL**

Kagome stood next to Inuyasha as Kouga and Inu went over Sesshomaru's bike before his final round in the open freestyle motocross. Kain had just reached the top of the starting platform, since he was currently listed in eighth place he would be the first to make his second run of the afternoon. Jakotsu would be the first from their group and he was slotted to go after Kain. After he had been announced, Kain dropped down the ramp and onto the course. He putted around weaving through the ramps before finally committing and riding across the starting line. The clock on one of the large LCD screens began to count down the time on his ninety second run. His first trick was a Cliffhanger which he followed up with a Rock Solid. Kagome watched with little interest. It would be difficult for him to better his score from his previous round and unless someone else crashed, he would likely finish in the lower half of the field.

Kagome decided that she'd had enough of standing around and made her way over to Jakotsu as he was preparing to stage. He greeted her with a cheerful smile just before he pulled his helmet on.

"Hi!" Kagome shouted over the cheering crowd. "Need anything?"

"Nope, I think I'm good. Unless you're willing to give up one of those good luck kisses that seem to work so well for Sess."

Kagome laughed.

"Just don't let him know that I did, okay?"

Jakotsu nodded vigorously before Kagome put her hands on the sides of his helmet to stop him. She gently forced him to bow his head before she kissed the visor of his helmet. She let go of his helmet and they shared a brief moment of laughter before a tech came up, letting Jakotsu know that he had roughly thirty seconds before his run. Kagome patted him on the arm and shouted 'good luck' before heading back to Inuyasha's side.

"You're lucky Sesshomaru's too busy to keep tabs on you right now," Inuyasha teased with a smirk.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kagome countered with a grin of her own.

"Spreading the good luck kiss around."

"Oh that?" She waved a dismissive hand at him. "Sess doesn't care about Jak."

"Yeah, wonder why that is," Inuyasha said rolling his eyes. "It was amazing how he let you grind all over Jakotsu out on the dance floor last night, but I can't come within two feet of you when we danced."

"Like I said," Kagome said laughing. "He doesn't see Jak as a threat."

Jakotsu dropped down off the platform and onto the course. As he rode around warming up his bike, he threw his fist in the air working the crowd. He headed for his first ramp looking distracted, but managed to pull off a nice Tsunami, bringing his boots within inches of the front fender.

"I wish I was that flexible," Kagome commented causing Inuyasha to laugh. "What?"

"Nothing, just picturing you being that flexible," Inuyasha laughed.

"I bet being that flexible allows him to be put in all kinds of interesting positions," Kagome said smiling evilly.

Inuyasha's laughter died instantly.

"Ahh _gross_! Did you _have_ to say that? Now I've got unwanted images of him in my brain."

Kagome turned to him grinning.

"If they're there, are you sure that they're unwanted?"

"Shut up! Shut up!" Inuyasha cried as he covered his ears and moved away from her.

Kagome laughed as she turned back to watch Jakotsu's run. He was on what she guessed was his fourth trick, a Lazy Boy. He followed that up with more basic tricks, a Stripper, Flatliner, Disco Can, and a Superman Seat Grab. He took his time and got a good line towards the ramp they had been doing Back Flips off of in practice. Kagome was torn between watching and closing her eyes as he quickly approached the ramp. The desire to watch won out and she witnessed Jakotsu being the first, other than Sesshomaru, to pull off a Back Flip that afternoon. He landed solidly and the crowd screamed as he made his way back over to the waiting area. The others were busy getting Hiten situated for his run in five minutes, so Kagome and Inuyasha were the ones to help Jakotsu with his bike. Jakotsu jumped from his bike and allowed it to fall into Inuyasha's hands in favor of hugging Kagome when she jumped into his arms.

"Oww! Hey! These aren't light you know asshole!" Inuyasha complained.

"Oh toughen up cupcake," Jakotsu teased over his shoulder.

"You landed your back flip!" Kagome shouted over the sound of the crowd and other bikes.

"Was there any doubt that I would? You gave me your patented good luck kiss after all," he teased.

Kagome shook her head and waited with him to hear his score. Having done the back flip bumped him into second for the time being. After hearing his score they walked towards the tent so he could ditch his gear and put his bike on its stand. Naraku was already over two thirds done with his run when they came back out to watch. He had just preformed a Coffin and was heading towards the same ramp that Jakotsu had finished with.

"If he's attempting a back flip, I hope he crashes," Kagome said bitterly.

"I know he's an evil a-hole, but that doesn't mean that you have to be evil too," Jakotsu scolded softly.

"I just want him to hurt as much as I did after he ruined my life."

"Yeah but it all worked out in the end for you..." Jakotsu trailed off as Naraku attempted a back flip.

He under-rotated and crashed hard, landing a few feet away from his bike, face down and unmoving. Jakotsu looked to Kagome who had a look of horror on her face.

"Oh my God," she said slowly. "I feel horrible."

Jakotsu put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side.

"It's not your fault. He would have crashed anyway," he said soothingly. "I'm sure he's fine. He didn't land that awkwardly."

Kagome remained quiet and wrapped securely in Jakotsu's arms as there was a short break for the medical team to look over and help Naraku from the track. Once he was off the track the final round got back under way with Aido taking off from the starting platform. Kagome watched with intense interest to try and keep her mind off of the subject of Naraku. He started with a decent Cordova and then a Ladder off of the second ramp. Jakotsu noticed Hiten getting ready for his run and quietly led Kagome over in that direction. The two of them stood behind Kouga on the starting platform as he went over Hiten's bike one last time. Hiten threw his leg over the seat and sat astride his bike for a moment before kick-starting it. The others turned to the course to watch Aido finish up his round with a Tsunami and then a 9 O'Clock Indian Air. Hiten pulled on the throttle of his bike several time, letting it warm up while he waited for Aido's score and the go-ahead to make his run. Once given the 'green light', Hiten took off from the platform and jumped down onto the course. He rode around to find the line he wanted then committed to it. He flew towards the biggest steel ramp and pulled off a flawless back flip.

"He wasted little time," Kagome commented as she, Jakotsu, and Kouga started down the steps of the platform to make room for Kaname and his crew.

"Better to get it out of the way in the beginning," Kouga suggested.

"I liked leaving it for last," Kagome countered.

Kouga eyed her suspiciously as she continued to cling to Jakotsu.

"What's up?" Kouga asked narrowing his eyes slightly. He knew something was off with her.

"Huh?" Kagome asked confused.

"You haven't let go of Jakotsu in twenty minutes. Something's wrong."

Kagome looked away not wanting to have to explain why she was upset. Jakotsu jumped in and offered the explanation for her.

"She was saying how she hoped Naraku would crash if he attempted a back flip...then he did."

Kouga scoffed and shook his head.

"Seriously?" Kouga asked disbelieving. "That's what's got you upset? Kags, he would have crashed anyway. He didn't even have half the rotation required to pull off a back flip."

"Still-" Kagome said as Kouga pulled her from Jakotsu's side, pulling her close.

"Shut up," he said softly. "He's an idiot. Don't waste your time feeling bad for him."

Kagome nodded then pushed Kouga away with a slight smile.

"We're missing Hiten's run," she pointed out when she noticed Kouga's hurt expression.

All three turned to watch what was left of Hiten's run. He was on what was likely his seventh trick, a Helicopter. He went into a turn a little too fast, whipping the bike through it and raced towards his next ramp. It was the one dirt to dirt ramp combination in the course and he performed a Cliffhanger to a No-Hander Lander.

"That little punk!" Kagome suddenly hissed.

Jakotsu and Kouga looked down at her.

"He must have looked at Sesshomaru's list," she mused aloud.

"Other people can throw the same tricks down," Kouga said laughing.

"No...Sesshomaru's has to be better," Kagome said glancing to her right, towards the staging tents.

She started towards the tents and Kouga grabbed her hand.

"Where are you going?" He asked smiling as he pulled her around to face him.

"To change Sesshomaru's list," she said matter-of-factly.

"I thought you didn't want him to medal today?" Jakotsu asked, unable to hide the sarcasm in his voice.

"I...I forgot about that," Kagome admitted.

She looked back to the course as Hiten preformed his final trick, a Ninja Nac. She sighed before yanking her hand away from Kouga and throwing her hands up in defeat.

"He'll win. We all know that," she offered before turning back towards the tents. "I want to make sure it's by a huge gap in points."

Jakotsu and Kouga watched as she practically ran towards the tents, disappearing behind them.

"I'm astonished at how competitive she is," Jakotsu said turning back to Kouga.

Kouga laughed.

"I'm amazed she went back on her earlier declaration that Sesshomaru wouldn't medal today."

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Kagome shoved her way past several of the other riders and their crews before she found Sesshomaru with Inu and Inuyasha next to him. She gripped his arm a little harder than she had intended and when she looked up at him with a slight amount of worry in her eyes, he turned to her grabbing her by both arms.

"What's wrong?" He asked, instantly concerned.

Both Inu and Inuyasha were also on edge waiting for her to speak.

"Hiten stole one of our trick combos," she blurted out quickly.

"What?" Sesshomaru asked, thinking that he hadn't heard her correctly. She looked far too upset for that to be what she had said.

"He just did a Cliffhanger to a No-Hander Lander!" She shouted slightly, exasperated.

"And?" Sesshomaru asked, failing to see where the problem was.

"We have to change it. You can't do the same thing as someone else," Kagome insisted.

"Kags, I go out there in ten minutes, maybe less. There's not enough time for me to learn a new list. Let alone enough time for you to make one. Besides, there are several tricks on it that others are doing."

"But I thought that one was really inventive!" She cried. "Just let me change that one?"

She looked up at him with pleading eyes and he caved with a sigh.

"It would be much simpler to just leave it, but if it will make you happy-"

"I've got it!" Kagome interrupted him, her eyes wide.

She pulled on his arm, pulling him down to her and whispered her idea in his ear. When he stood back up he was grinning.

"That's even better," Sesshomaru said with an approving nod.

"I know right?" Kagome asked with a big grin. "Just don't forget it."

"I won't," he promised. "Thanks."

He placed a quick kiss on her lips before turning to Inu and Inuyasha, who were confused by their entire conversation.

"Inuyasha, go ahead and get Bankotsu ready for his run," Sesshomaru said looking at his brother.

"I'll go with you," Kagome offered and left the tent with Inuyasha.

Inu watched them leave then turned back to Sesshomaru.

"What was all that about?" He asked.

Sesshomaru shrugged slightly.

"She was upset that Hiten did one of her combos."

"This morning she wanted you to lose. What changed that?"

"I have no idea, but what she just came up with is genius," Sesshomaru answered with a grin.

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Kagome stood with Kouga and Inuyasha while Kaname waited for his score and Jakotsu waited with Bankotsu for his run to begin. Kaname's score put him in third place, which would likely not hold if Bankotsu achieved a back flip. Kagome knew he was planning to go for one in the middle of his run. Bankotsu took off from the starting platform and rode around the course briefly before heading for his first ramp and completing his first trick; an Oxecutioner. As soon as Bankotsu's time began, Sesshomaru had headed up to the starting area with Inu and Kagome quickly following. He hopped on his bike and kick-started it with practiced ease. Inu handed him his helmet and he pulled it on, then his goggles. Kagome turned to check where Bankotsu was in his run and she managed to catch him landing his back flip. She turned back to Sesshomaru and grabbed his helmet. She kissed his visor quickly and suddenly felt that wouldn't be enough. Her fingers made quick work of untying his helmet and pushed it up. Her lips met his and his shocked expression turned to understanding. She pulled away as Bankotsu completed his eighth trick and the tech shouted that Sesshomaru had about thirty seconds. Kagome allowed Sesshomaru to pull his helmet back down before she re-tied it for him.

"Good luck," she said softly, knowing he would hear her.

"I like the new variation on the good luck kiss," Sesshomaru teased with a smirk that she could just barely make out under his helmet.

"Don't get used to it," she joked before taking a step back with Inu and allowing Sesshomaru to focus on his final round.

They didn't have to wait long. The judges quickly came up with Bankotsu's score which put him in first and Hiten in second. With almost everyone throwing down back flips in their final rounds, Sesshomaru had been bumped into third place. As he jumped off of the starting platform the crowed screamed, everyone knew that he wouldn't be in third after the next ninety seconds. He spent only a few seconds playing the crowd before setting himself up for a run at the largest steal ramp. If there had been any doubt that Sesshomaru would win the competition today, it was quickly nullified when his first trick was a Lazy Boy Back Flip. You could barely hear the exhaust from his bike over the roar of the crowd screaming in amazement at what they had just seen. Sesshomaru's following trick was a Stalefish which then led to the part of his trick list where he was to preform Kagome's latest combination. Kagome gripped onto Inu's arm as Sesshomaru approached the dirt to dirt ramp. He started with a Cliffhanger like he had intended but while the bike was beginning to make it's decent towards the landing ramp, he kicked his feet free of the bike, turning the trick into a Nothing. Somehow, he managed to get himself back on the seat of the bike without using his hands and landed with them above his head, a No-Hander Lander.

"Did you see that?!" Kagome cried turning to Inuyasha.

"Yeah Kags, keep it down," he said laughing at her reaction.

"It was perfect!" She continued, now talking to Kouga.

He nodded.

"You're missing the rest of his run," he informed her.

"Oh!" She gasped and snapped her head back towards the course.

Sesshomaru had just landed a Cordova and whipped his bike through a deep turn and headed towards one of the shorter gapped steel ramps. He pushed his body away from the bike, kicking the back end of it down and bringing his upper body over the handlebars, completing a nice Kiss Of Death. He landed and took his time making his way back around to the big steel ramp and everyone knew another back flip was coming. It was yet another back flip variation that no one had ever seen before. As he pulled the bike around in the arc of the flip he managed to hook his boots under the handlebars and pull his body away from the bike executing a Cliffhanger. Kagome again squealed and bounced around like a little kid until Kouga grabbed her and clamped his hand over her mouth.

"Calm down," he said laughing as she struggled against him. "You're pretty animated for someone who's about to lose a bet."

She mumbled her reply against his hand and attempted to get away from him again without success.

"Did he ever tell you what he had decided on when he wins?" Kouga asked.

Kagome slumped against him, giving up as Sesshomaru completed a Shaolin out on the course. Kouga let his hand fall from her mouth but kept his arm around her waist.

"No more screaming please?" He asked looking down at her.

"Fine," she mumbled losing some of her enthusiasm.

Sesshomaru was no doubt going to hold her to the bet and would choose something completely inappropriate for his prize. She smirked. Maybe she could turn this thing around, perhaps even pretend the bet had never even been placed. Sesshomaru completed a 9 O'Clock Indian Air from the dirt to dirt ramp then looped around to the ramp he used for his back flips.

"What's he doing?" Kagome wondered.

"A flip obviously," Inuyasha answered the obvious.

"He's not supposed to be," Kagome said watching as he got closer to the ramp.

"He's not?" Inu asked pulling his eyes from Sesshomaru for a second to look down at Kagome.

"No, he's supposed to be doing a stripper," She sounded slightly upset.

Sesshomaru rocketed up the ramp and pulled the bike around in a back flip while hooking one boot under the handlebars and extended his other leg out turning it into a Stripper Back Flip. Inuyasha and Kouga started laughing.

"He did do a Stripper. It was just inverted," Inu said smiling.

Kagome shook her head but said nothing. He hadn't left out her one request so there would be no need to cause him bodily harm once his round was over. Sesshomaru hit one of the smaller steel ramps and preformed a Rock Solid that he held so long it looked impossible for him to make it back onto the bike. Kagome unconsciously gripped onto the closest thing with one hand, which happened to be Inu's shirt. It made him wonder what the last trick could be if she was this nervous again. Surely it wouldn't be the Double? He hadn't even practiced it! He silently cursed himself for not forcing the issue about looking over Sesshomaru's trick list. He'd thought it was odd that he and Kagome had kept it a closely guarded secret the last few days. He knew as Sesshomaru made the out of the way trek towards the large steel ramp, it was all but certain that it was going to be a flip of some kind.

"Kagome, he's not..." he started to ask.

"No. It's not the double," Kagome answered picking up on his train of though. "If he does that, I'll kill him."

Inu found himself nodding in agreement. Sesshomaru got a great take off from the ramp and pulled the bike around in a back flip while throwing his right leg over the seat to perform a Can-Can. He left his right leg over the seat and landed the trick with a Side Saddle Lander, just as Kagome had planned for him to. She took a sigh of relief and let go of Inu's shirt, finally realizing that she was even holding it in her hand.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"It's fine," Inu said with a half-smile. "Come over here for a sec would you."

It wasn't a request and Kagome followed him away from the rest of the guys as they cheered for Sesshomaru. He stopped near the steps to the starting platform where there seemed to be the least amount of people. He turned to face her and his serious look had Kagome's mind racing as to what he could possibly want to talk about.

"Is he planning on the Double for best trick?" He asked in a hushed tone.

Kagome shrugged.

"I assume. He hasn't really talked to me about it. I know he hasn't been practicing it though."

Inu nodded and then smiled.

"You should go congratulate him on his gold medal. I believe the two of you have a bet to settle."

"Ugh! Is no one going to forget that?" Kagome said with a disgusted look on her face.

"You're the one that lost your temper and initiated the stupidest bet ever known."

"Yeah. Yeah," Kagome grumbled as she turned and jogged off towards where Sesshomaru would be waiting for his score.

It was announced just as she got to him that he'd won and she couldn't stop herself from jumping into his arms. Inuyasha had already taken his bike and Sesshomaru had taken his helmet off, leaving his goggles around his neck. Kagome's attack caught him off guard and he stumbled back a step or two before crashing his lips to hers. Kagome pulled away to suck in a much needed breath of air and he smiled.

"The new good luck kiss has to stay. It's far luckier than the old one," he said as he set her on the ground.

"I liked your Stripper," she said, narrowing her eyes at him.

"A regular Stripper is so...old school. It needed some improvement," Sesshomaru reasoned.

"Mmm hmm," Kagome answered.

"Now," Sesshomaru said pulling her close once again. "I believe that I need to decide on my prize." He wiggled his eye brows at her with the last words and it reminded her of Miroku.

She laughed despite herself.

"Alright, but nothing too perverted," she demanded with a poke of her finger to his chest.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Sesshomaru answered sarcastically.

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 **Ninja Nac** \- No handed 9 o'clock Nac. (9 o'clock Nac– When the rider moves their body to the o'clock position extending out wards from the bike. Rider can go up to the 12 o'clock position on occasions.)


	22. STYLE, PERSISTANCE, ENVY

**A/N:** Rest in peace Jeremy Lusk. You will be missed

 **Chapter 22: STYLE, PERSISTINCE, ENVY**

Kagome clutched her white terrycloth robe closed at her chest. She'd swiped the garment out of their hotel room when Inuyasha had driven her back to grab a few things. She had changed in her locker room at the Staples Center and made her way back outside to where Sesshomaru was waiting. To anyone who noticed her she seemed out of place dressed in the white bath robe, her hair up in a messy bun and her motorcycle boots visible beneath the bottom of her robe. She silently thanked any God listening that Sesshomaru had chosen to do this _after_ the events of the Monster Games were over for the day. Less people would be around to witness this event. She knew most of the members of their little gang would be there, Inu and Izayoi being the only exceptions. She surprisingly welcomed that it was dark outside, despite the fact that it should have made this worse.

 _'Good thing it's August in California and still eighty degrees out or I'd kill him for sure.'_ She thought to herself as she started across the black top towards the area where they had held the Freestyle competitions earlier in the day.

The area was closed for all except participants, which had cut down on the crowd she feared would be waiting for her. The fact that most of them had left to party cut it down even further. She noticed Sesshomaru's truck parked near two of the large portable light rigs, his dirt bike a few feet away underneath them. The group was waiting for her and she sighed. She would never live this down, but she would also never forget it. It would come in handy when it came time to pick something out herself the next time she beat Sesshomaru in one of their bets. Sango noticed her first and jogged over to her side.

"I can't believe you're doing this," she commented with a smirk on her face.

"I don't have a choice. This is what he wanted," Kagome said with a shrug.

"You should play it against him," Sango suggested. "You know how jealous he gets."

Kagome nodded in agreement. She had already thought over a similar plan while she had been changing. The two girls broke though the group of guys that were either standing near Sesshomaru's truck or sitting on its tailgate. Sesshomaru stepped forward, a grin plastered from ear to ear.

"Where did you find the robe?" He asked curious.

"I brought it with me from the room," Kagome answered sweetly, smiling back at him.

Kouga was the next to step forward, stopping at Sesshomaru's side.

"I must say that I'm glad this is what he chose," he said eying her outfit and all but drooling over the thought of what was underneath it.

"I'm glad he invited you all to enjoy it," Kagome answered, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Sesshomaru frowned at Kouga, but refused to let him ruin his fun. He grasped Kagome's hand and pulled her away from Kouga and Sango, and closer to his dirt bike that was sitting on a stand.

"I brought you everything you need," he informed her, motioning towards the bucket full of suds and the hose that was stretched from the staging tents.

"Oh how nice you are," Kagome said rolling her eyes.

Sesshomaru laughed and kissed her forehead.

"You're the one that placed an idiotic bet," he cooed.

"Right," Kagome admitted with a sigh. "Can I ask something though?"

"Hmm?"

She pulled up on her robe exposing more of her boots.

"What's with the boots? You all but forced them on my feet yourself."

He smirked.

"I thought it would add to the fantasy come true."

Kagome laughed.

"Most guys would want ankle injury causing stilettos. Yet you've got some kink with my riding boots."

He shrugged.

"To each his own."

"If they get ruined, you owe me a new pair," she demanded.

"Completely worth it," Sesshomaru answered with another smirk. "Robe please."

He held his hand towards her and she instinctively stepped back a couple of feet. If it had been just the two of them, no problem, but there were seven other guys behind him waiting with anticipation too. Though she didn't really count Jakotsu, he didn't seem all that interested in her soon to be half naked body. A few seconds passed before she realized that this was no different than hanging out at the pool at home. Well, other than it was at almost eleven o'clock at night and they were standing in a parking lot in Los Angeles outside the Staples Center. She smirked as she reached for the tie of her robe. She picked at the knot and then pulled the two ends of the tie apart. She then reached up and slowly pushed the robe from her shoulders, happy with the way Sesshomaru's eyes followed her every movement. Kouga's wolf-whistle brought back the realization that they weren't alone. She quickly pulled the robe off completely and flung it at Sesshomaru, finally revealing the black and white polka dotted bikini she wore underneath. She then turned towards the bucket full of sudsy bubbles. She picked it up and fished out the sponge that was in it, and then made her way towards his bike. She stopped a couple of feet away and looked over her shoulder at Sesshomaru.

"So just wash it?" She asked grinning.

He nodded and she turned around to begin the task. She purposely arched her back as she leaned towards the front wheel making sure she kept eye contact with Sesshomaru. She had to set the bucket down so she could hold the wheel with one hand while she ran the sponge over it.

"Is it wrong that this is such a turn on?" Inuyasha asked Kouga quietly.

"Something's seriously wrong with you if it's not," Kouga replied watching as Kagome moved up the bike, washing the front forks.

Sesshomaru growled lowly but didn't pull his eyes off of Kagome who was smiling as she now worked on lathering up the handlebars and the number plate.

"Turn this way a little," Sesshomaru directed.

With a flirtatious smile, Kagome complied and turned her body slightly towards Sesshomaru. She had to fight back a laugh when nearly all the guys sighed.

 _'This is ridiculous. They're so flippin' easy.'_ She thought as she moved to the seat.

She ran the sponge back and forth along the length of the seat then pulled the sponge down the side of the bike and scrubbed the plastics on the side. She slowly worked her way towards the rear fender and made an elaborate show of looking at the underside of it before squatting down so that she could see it while she scrubbed it. She then stood again and grabbed the bucket, taking it with her as she walked around the back side of the bike. She let the bucket fall rather than set it down, and the soapy water sloshed out getting her wet from mid-thigh down.

"Ooooops," Kagome said wryly before she started soaping up the rear wheel.

Sesshomaru laughed at her display and slowly walked over to her. She pretended not to notice him and continued soaping up the bike, now working on the rear side number plate. She took her time before dipping the sponge back in the soapy water, making sure it was good and saturated before placing it on the seat of the bike. She looked up at Sesshomaru though her bangs when he stopped on the opposite side of the bike.

"Enjoying yourself?" He asked as she purposefully arched her back and made a slow stroke up the seat with the sponge.

"Yes," she answered turning her attention back to the bike. "Washing your bike is so much fun."

Sesshomaru watched silently as she moved on to the fuel tank and the side plastics.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" She asked with a smirk.

"Very much so," he answered moving to step around to her side of the bike.

Seeing him approach, she decided she needed more soap and dunked the sponge into the bucket again. Then inspiration struck her. Sesshomaru placed one hand on the handlebars and smiled.

"Would you like a hand?" He asked, unknowingly walking right into what she was quickly planning.

"Sure," she answered with a devious grin.

Her body language should have thrown a red flag as to her intentions, but Sesshomaru was preoccupied at the moment. So needless to say when the wet, soapy sponge hit him dead-center on his chest, he was a little surprised. She had turned and started running, best she could wearing motorcycle boots, in the opposite direction. Kagome knew with her odd stride, even with the three second head start, she wouldn't get far. Not with Sesshomaru chasing after her. She knew he would give chase, but what she didn't know was the he'd give chase carrying the bucket full of soapy water. When he caught her right wrist she turned to defend herself, eyes wide when she noticed him holding the bucket in his other hand. She cried out in protest and struggled anew as he brought the bucket higher in the air and finally dumped its contents on her. Her hands instantly flew to her eyes, wiping the soapy water away. She gave a little growl before launching herself at Sesshomaru who was laughing at her reaction. She hit him hard but he held steady, keeping them from both falling onto the unforgiving asphalt. She laughed as she struggled against him yelling every inventive curse she could think of. He finally managed to pin her arms against her sides and he smirked in triumph.

"You jerk!" Kagome hissed trying to pull away from him.

"You started it," Sesshomaru replied grinning.

"Ugh! Now I'm all wet," she complained.

"And whose fault is that?" He asked.

"Not mine that's for sure," she mumbled.

"Truce?" He asked bending his knees slightly so he could look her in the eyes.

Kagome pouted as she thought about his offer, refusing to look at him.

"Kags?" He prompted. "I'm not letting you go until you agree."

That got her attention and her head whipped forward so she could glare at him.

"What are you going to do? Hold me here all night?"

"If it's necessary," Sesshomaru answered.

"I'll freeze," Kagome protested.

"That's a possibility," he answered with a chuckle.

Kagome weighed her options. She didn't really want to stand out here all night, though the idea of giving into him when he gave far worse then what he got bothered her too. Making up her mind she turned her face away from Sesshomaru. The two stood that way for almost ten minutes before Kouga walked over to them.

"What are you two doing?" He asked.

"Kagome is being stubborn," Sesshomaru answered.

Kagome scoffed before giving her answer.

"Sesshomaru's being a jerk."

Kouga shook his head.

"So you're standing here because...?"

"Kagome won't agree to a truce."

"Sesshomaru's being a jerk and won't let me go."

"Okay Kags, got it. You think he's a jerk," Kouga laughed. "Are the two of you planning on standing there all night?"

"I'm standing here until she agrees to the truce," Sesshomaru explained.

"I'm standing here until he lets me go," Kagome corrected.

"Okay then," Kouga said before making his way back over to the truck where everyone else was waiting to hear what he had found out.

"Apparently they're going to be there for a while. Sesshomaru wants a truce and Kags isn't going for it," he explained slowly then smiled. "I've got ten dollars that says Sess breaks first."

"No way!" Inuyasha laughed. "Kagome's wet and in a bikini. There's no way she'll last longer than Sess."

"Oh, I beg to differ," Jakotsu jumped in. "She's about as stubborn as they come."

"I think Inuyasha's right," Miroku said. "She's going to get cold long before Sesshomaru will give in."

Kagome could hear the excited voices coming from the truck but couldn't make out what they were saying. She sighed and looked up at Sesshomaru.

"Do I want to know?" She asked.

"They're taking bets on which one of us will cave first," he answered with a grin.

"I feel sorry for whoever put money on you to win," Kagome replied turning from him again.

"Likewise," Sesshomaru teased.

The minutes ticked by and soon over two hours had passed. It was well after one AM and everyone except Kouga, Inuyasha, and Jakotsu had given up and gone back to the hotel. Jakotsu had attempted to talk some sense into the two of them but failed and as a last resort Inuyasha had called his father, telling him nothing more than they needed his help at the Staples Center. Inu showed up twenty minutes later parking next to Sesshomaru's truck. He stepped out of his truck in a surprisingly good mood considering that Inuyasha had woken him up with his call.

"What's going on?" He asked noticing Sesshomaru and Kagome.

"I guess you could say they're fighting," Inuyasha answered.

"She threw a sponge at him and he dumped a bucket of water on her. He's asking for a truce and she won't agree," Kouga explained.

"Is...she wearing a bikini?" Inu asked. "And her MX boots?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha and Kouga answered.

Inu shook his head, deciding that he didn't want to know the reason behind her choice of clothing, or lack thereof. Jakotsu grabbed Kagome's robe and walked with Inu as he started towards Sesshomaru and Kagome.

"He chose for her to wash his bike dressed like that for his reward for winning their bet," Jakotsu explained.

With a heavy sigh, Inu stopped in front of the couple.

"You two realize that it's fast approaching two in the morning right? And that Inuyasha woke me up to come down here to get the two of you to end this nonsense," he asked when the two of them looked at him.

"Sorry," Kagome apologized.

"According to the boys this is some kind of stalemate between you two about a truce?"

"Yeah," they answered.

Inu nodded once before grabbing Kagome's arm. Sesshomaru let her go and Jakotsu stepped forward to wrap her in her robe.

"Sometimes the two of you surprise me with your stupidity," Inu scolded. "Are the two of you going to be able to get along in the same vehicle on the way back to the hotel or does Kagome need to ride with me?"

"No," Sesshomaru answered, not failing to see the humor in the fact that his father had shown up to end their little battle. "We'll be fine. Right?" He asked looking over at Kagome.

"Sure," Kagome answered with a weak smile. "We'll be fine."

' _At least until we get back to the hotel and I can get him back.'_ She thought.

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The ride back to the hotel was fairly silent due to the fact that Kagome was wracking her brain trying to come up with some way to get Sesshomaru back. Her brilliant idea hit her as they walked into the lobby. She got some unusual looks from the few people that were seated in the small sitting area since she was still dressed in her bath robe and motorcycle boots. She walked confidently across the tile that led to the elevator and waited for it to arrive. She had to fight to keep the calm look on her face. Her mind was full of images of what was soon to come for Sesshomaru and it had her wanting to smile. Sesshomaru let her enter the elevator first and their short ride to the tenth floor was spent with them each in their own thoughts. The doors opened revealing a carpeted hallway, which they followed until they reached their room almost at its end. Sesshomaru already had their card key out and holding the door open for Kagome by the time she reached the door. Her first priority was to get out of her soaking wet boots. She sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled off her boots while Sesshomaru flopped down in one of the cushioned chairs next to the window. He wasted little time in turning the TV on and changing the channel to ESPN to catch the highlights from the day at the games. He was completely absorbed as Kagome moved from the bed, placing her boots near the closet, then padded across the carpet to the bathroom. She grabbed the ice bucket then returned to the room to grab her room key from the edge of the dresser that the TV sat on.

"Where are you going?" Sesshomaru asked pulling his eyes from the TV for a second.

"To get some ice," Kagome replied as she turned for the door.

"Do you want me to go with you?" He asked, this time not pulling his focus from the slow motion replays of the FMX finals.

"I think I can handle walking to the end of the hall and getting ice by myself," she said with a slight laugh.

"Do you have a key or do you want me to let you back in?"

She held up the card key between her index and middle fingers as she neared the door. When he was unresponsive, she turned around. His eyes were glued to the TV.

"I have a key," she said as she opened the door and slipped through it.

Once Kagome was out of the room she couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face. She all but ran down the hall towards the ice and vending machines. She threw the bucket into the ice machine, not bothering to make sure that it was aligned correctly before she pressed the button. She filled the bucket a little less than half way before pulling it from the ice machine and walking quickly back to the room. She had the key in the door and was turning the knob just as the light flashed green. Sesshomaru looked up as she proceeded to walk to the dresser, setting her key back down before taking the ice back towards the bathroom.

"That was fast," he commented.

"There's not really a line for ice at two in the morning," she pointed out with a smile before she disappeared into the bathroom.

She set the ice bucket on the counter next to the sink and grabbed one of the glasses that were wrapped in paper off the counter. She tore the paper from the glass, turned on the faucet for the cold water, and then proceeded to fill the glass before dumping it into the half full ice bucket. She repeated the process until the icy water was almost to the top of the bucket. Setting the glass down as she turned the water off she silently thanked whoever was listening that Sesshomaru was more interested in ESPN at the moment then what she was doing in the bathroom. Picking up the bucket, she turned and headed back into the room and straight towards Sesshomaru, who was still intent on watching the TV.

 _'Perfect.'_ She thought with a grin.

She stopped a couple of feet away, just out of arms reach, before she tossed the icy contents of the bucket at him. She stayed just long enough to catch the shocked look on his face before turning and running like a mad woman towards the bathroom. She sprinted through the door, slipping slightly on the tile as she turned and slammed the door closed behind her, locking it. Just as the lock clicked Sesshomaru tried the door knob.

"What the hell?" He asked from the other side of the door.

"Payback," Kagome replied with a giggle, amazed that her plan had worked.

"Open the door."

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Open. The. Door," Sesshomaru demanded.

"Yeah, I don't think I want to," Kagome answered, her grin fading a little.

"Kags, open this door." His voice was calmer now.

"Only if you agree to the truce."

"No," he answered immediately.

"Come on," Kagome whined. "All I did was get you back."

"With ice-cold water," he added with a scoff.

"And it was only about half the amount of the cold water you dumped on me," Kagome reminded him. "I'm not opening this door until you agree to the truce."

"Can you at least hand me a towel or something?" He asked.

"No," Kagome answered, her smile returning full force.

Things were silent for a moment before she heard a defeated sigh come from the other side of the door.

"Alright, truce. Can I have a towel now?"

Kagome grabbed a towel from the cubbyhole underneath the counter and opened the door. Sesshomaru was standing with his hands placed on either side of the door way. His clothes were soaked and water dripped from his chin as she handed him the towel.

"You should probably get out of those clothes," Kagome said with a soft smile.

He gave her an exasperating look before moving past her into the bathroom. His shirt was the first to go and it hit the tile floor with a wet 'plop'. His shorts soon followed and after using the towel to dry himself off, he returned to the main part of the room clad only in his wet boxers. He riffled though his duffel bag before finding a new, dry pair and then proceeded to strip the wet ones off, replacing them with the dry ones. Kagome sat on the edge of the bed turning her attention from the TV to him every so often.

"You have to admit that you didn't see it coming," she commented as he sprawled out on the bed next to her.

"It should have dawned on me that you were up to something. There was no reason for you to go get ice."

"Yes there was. A very good reason," Kagome replied as she stood and took off her robe. "Payback."

"You're lucky I agreed to the truce," he said watching her as she dug through her suitcase looking for her pajamas.

"And you're lucky that I only threw ice water at you," Kagome replied as she headed towards the bathroom, tank top and boxers in hand.

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The atmosphere inside the Staples Center was at the highest level of excitement it had been during the entire duration of the Monster Games. Best Trick was the most anticipated event by far. The six riders that were entered stood next to their bikes in their small staging slots while they waited for the event to start. Instead of just one steel ramp, as had been for Best Whip, there were three positioned at various distances from the dirt landing ramp. Kagome and Inu were in Sesshomaru's slot, while Inuyasha was with Bankotsu, and Kouga was with Jakotsu. Ginta and Hakkaku were in Hiten's slot to help him out if he needed it. Kagome leaned against the back railing that separated Sesshomaru and Bankotsu's slots, talking with Miroku, Sango, and Izayoi where they sat in the stands. Sesshomaru and Inu stood on either side of Sesshomaru's bike talking in quite voices about something no one was apparently supposed to know. Kagome figured they were discussing his attempting the Double Back Flip. Hopefully Inu was trying to talk him out of it. Sesshomaru was insane if he went through with attempting it. He hadn't practiced it once at home or here at the games and he had _never_ landed it the _one_ time he had practiced it before. Inu suddenly reached across the bike and pulled Sesshomaru into a hug. At this point Kagome couldn't stay away any longer, wondering what was going on was going to drive her nuts.

"Now you'll have even more incentive to land that damn trick," Inu said happily, a huge smile on his face.

"An incentive other than not killing himself?" Kagome asked moving to Inu's side.

Inu turned to her, his smile widening if possible, as he pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

"There is that too," Inu answered looking over at Sesshomaru. "I'll be right back."

He let Kagome go and walked to the back of the slot and leaned over the railing to talk to Izayoi. Kagome and Sesshomaru watched as he whispered something in her ear and her face lit up.

"Oh that's wonderful!" She squealed.

"Couldn't keep it to himself for even five minutes," Sesshomaru grumbled.

"Keep what?" Kagome asked completely confused as to what was going on.

"Nothing," Sesshomaru answered with a grin. "I'll tell you after I land the double."

"You _better_ land it," Kagome warned. "I refuse to push you around in a wheelchair."

"Aww come on Kags," he said as he leaned across the seat of his bike to kiss her. "You know I'll land it. I can't get this jersey dirty after all."

"Yes. Let's worry about that jersey and not your neck."

The format for Best Trick was simple. One attempt at a trick of the rider's choosing and the best collective score, given by ten judges, won. Hiten had randomly drawn the first starting position and when the guy in charge of the event let him know that he would be expected to drop in for his run in just under two minutes, Hiten jumped on his bike and kick-started it. He rode up to the starting ramp with Ginta and Hakkaku following him on foot, Ginta carrying Hiten's helmet. Once on the platform at the top of the ramp Hiten took his time turning his bike around and then killed the engine. Two minutes turned into five and then ten as there was a problem with the feed from two of ESPN's video cameras. Once that was taken care of Hiten was told he could start his bike and he could go any time after his name and picture showed up on the LCD screen that was above the wide ramp that looked just like the starting one, but it was just beyond the landing ramp. They were supposed to use the ramp if they needed more time to stop. With only fifteen feet separating the base of the landing ramp and the wide ramp, it was likely everyone would be using it. Hiten kick-started his bike again then grabbed his helmet from Ginta. Once he had his helmet securely tied, he shifted the bike into first and let the clutch out, rolling down the ramp. He shifted through gears as he got closer to the steel ramp that was slightly to the right and the furthest back from the landing ramp. Once he was free from the ramp he let his feet come up from the pegs and held them straight out behind him, doing a Superman. Then he let go of the handlebars and rolled his body around parallel to the bike, completing a three-sixty rotation before grabbing onto the handlebars again and finding the pegs again with his feet. He had a solid landing and rocketed up the extra ramp before pulling his bike around at the top and rolling back down it. Kagome continued to watch him ride back towards his slot as she nudged Sesshomaru with her elbow.

"Why did he do a Carolla when everyone else will be doing back flips?" She asked.

"It's better to do a solid body-variel trick then an inverted one and have a shaky landing. He's betting on the others to not land their tricks as well as he did," Sesshomaru explained.

Kagome nodded. It was a solid plan other than the fact that Bankotsu and Jakotsu would probably land their back flips without any wobble what-so-ever. And if Sesshomaru did land the double, that threw everything out the window whether he landed it with a less than perfect landing or not. No one would be able to catch him once he received the bonus points for the trick's difficulty. Hiten's score of eighty-nine flashed across the LCD screen.

"It payed off," Sesshomaru said as Jakotsu rode past towards the starting ramp. "It's going to take a solid landing with a somewhat flawless back flip to beat that."

"Or a trick that no one's seen before," Kagome pointed out.

Jakotsu whipped his bike around and revved it a couple of times while he waited for his signal to go. Once he received it he dropped down the ramp and headed towards the center steel ramp, which was the largest and the closest to the dirt landing ramp. Once his rear tire left the ramp he pulled the bike around in the arc of a back flip, landing smoothly and somehow managed to slow down enough that he only had to go about half way up the extra ramp before turning around and heading towards his slot. While everyone waited for his score Aido made his way towards the starting ramp. Jakotsu's score was ninety-one which knocked Hiten out of the first position. Aido was given the go-ahead and he started towards the same ramp Jakotsu had just used. He too preformed a back flip except he over-rotated and the bike landed on its rear tire with the bike just shy of vertical. Aido let go of the handlebars and pushed himself from his bike, landing on his back before sliding down the ramp a ways. Once he stopped he pushed himself to his feet as the EMT crew was running out to him. He was obviously upset with his wreck as he yanked his helmet off and threw it to the ground cursing. The grounds crew helped him pick up his bike and walked with him back towards his slot.

"He wasn't ready," Sesshomaru commented, looking up at the score board.

Even without landing the trick, Aido received a score of sixty-two. A score that low wouldn't put him anywhere near the podium. Kaname made his way towards the starting ramp once he knew that Aido was alright, other than having the wind knocked out of him and his newly bruised ego. Kaname dropped in as soon as he was given the okay to do so and made the same trek to the center ramp as the two before him had. He too pulled his bike around in the all too familiar arc of a back flip and landed well, but shaky. His bike jerked to the right hard, then the left before he got it under control and rode up the extra ramp. He threw his fist in the air as he rode back down the ramp and to his staging slot. Bankotsu took off towards the starting platform while everyone waited for Kaname's score. Kagome was beginning to get nervous. Sesshomaru was the last rider and was slotted to go right after Bankotsu. Kaname's score was an eighty-five because of his landing and left him in third place for the moment. Bankotsu rolled down the ramp just after Kaname's score showed up on the board. He too headed for the center ramp and pulled the bike around in a back flip, except be brought his legs up and hooked his boots underneath the handlebars turning the trick into a Cordova Back Flip. He landed solidly and used all of the extra ramp and then some, actually slamming into the railing that was at the top of the ramp. His bike fell onto its side, the rear tire still spinning, catching and pulling the advertisement banners down that lined the railing. Bankotsu pulled himself out from under his bike and hopped to his feet throwing both fists in the air and yelling. Kouga and Inuyasha ran up the ramp to help him with his bike in case it was stuck. Soon Bankotsu was seated on his bike again and the three made their way down the ramp and towards his slot to wait for his score. Inu was back at Sesshomaru's side as he pulled his bike from its stand.

"I didn't realize that you were teaching them variations," Inu said.

"I hadn't. I'm not surprised that he attempted one though," Sesshomaru said with a grin. "I'll tell you one thing though, I'm not cutting him any slack when we get home. While everyone else will still be working on the back flip, he's going to be learning more variations."

Inu chuckled and nodded, turning his attention to Kagome for a second while Sesshomaru threw his leg over the seat of his bike. She was visibly a nervous wreck now. She clutched Sesshomaru's arm once he was seated on his bike.

"Please don't do this," she pleaded.

"Kags, I'll be fine," he assured her.

"But what if you're not?" She asked panicked, her voice breaking.

"I will be," Sesshomaru said softly. "Now, how about my good luck kiss?" He asked with a grin.

Kagome laughed despite the fact that she wanted to break into tears. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his forcefully. The kiss became more urgent and Inu had to all but pry them apart, shoving Sesshomaru's helmet into his arms.

"If you don't get up on that platform they're going to pitch a fit," Inu said as he pulled Kagome into his arms.

Sesshomaru nodded and pulled his helmet on before kick-starting his bike. Bankotsu's score flashed up on the LCD screen, a ninety-five. First place. Sesshomaru shifted into first and headed towards the starting ramp refusing to look at Kagome, knowing how worried her face looked. How worried it would make him feel. He was _going_ to land this trick; this one time and then never again. The cheer of the crowed went up noticeably as his name and picture appeared on the LCD screen above the run-out ramp. He took a deep breath and went over what he needed to do one last time. He let out the clutch and rolled down the ramp, shifting through gears as he did. He rocketed towards the center ramp and began pulling his bike around almost before he had even completely left the ramp. Once his first rotation was complete, he threw his head back, spotting the landing, and pulled the bike around a second time. And his tires kissed the dirt at almost the exact same second causing the landing to be rough, but Sesshomaru rode it out and flew up the extra ramp. He jumped off of his bike, as it was still headed up the ramp, and turned running back down the ramp. He somehow managed to run back up the dirt landing ramp despite the fact that he was wearing hindering motorcycle boots. Once at the top he promptly threw both fists in the air. Kagome, the same as everyone else in the arena, stood in slack-jawed shock for a few seconds before she began screaming. She started running towards the landing ramp vaguely realizing that she was still screaming 'oh my God!' at the top of her lungs. Inu and the rest of the gang was right behind her. Sesshomaru had taken his helmet off and now had it hoisted above his head in triumph. Once he spotted Kagome making her way towards him he ran down the back side of the landing ramp and caught her in his arms before she made it past the first steal ramp. He held her tight and kissed the side of her neck.

"You landed it. Oh my God! I can't believe you landed it!" She cheered.

He laughed and pulled away from her slightly.

"You doubted that I would?" He asked teasingly. "That was some good luck kiss you gave me to make sure that I did land it."

Kagome laughed, reminded of Jakotsu saying nearly the same words to her the day before.

"And I didn't even get my jersey dirty," Sesshomaru continued to tease her.

"I'm just glad your neck's still in one piece," Kagome said with a huge smile.

The others were now surrounding them; shouting their congratulations, their utter shock that he had just pulled of a trick that everyone thought impossible, and patting him on the back or pulling him into bone-crushing hugs. The crowd got louder, if possible, and everyone turned to the score board expectantly. Sesshomaru's score was a ninety-nine which surprised no one. He had just landed the first double back flip anyone had ever seen attempted at a competition. Members of the event staff began to appear, trying to make their way through the throng of people crowding Sesshomaru. They settled on Inu, since he was easier to reach. Inu nodded as they informed him that they would want Sesshomaru ready for the medal ceremony in about twenty minutes, which meant they wanted the course clear of anyone in his group and all their gear. Inu managed to pull Inuyasha away and sent him to get Sesshomaru's bike while he passed the message along to anyone in their group.

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While Kagome stood talking with Bankotsu and Jakotsu about Sesshomaru's training regimen for Bankotsu once they arrived home, Sesshomaru had pulled the main event coordinator aside and was taking with him quietly. After a moment the man started smiling and nodding, an obvious approval for whatever Sesshomaru was talking about.

"We'd be more than happy to," he said as he reached out and shook hands with Sesshomaru. "Besides the fact that I'd be a heartless bastard if I said no, how could I say no to the man that just put these games in the history books?"

"Thanks," Sesshomaru replied smiling himself.

"So as soon as Yuko pulls you into your interview, go for it," the man instructed before clapping a hand on his shoulder. "You lucky dog."

"You have no idea," Sesshomaru replied glancing towards Kagome.

All too soon Sesshomaru, Bankotsu, and Jakotsu were ushered out to the center of the starting platform, which was where they were to receive their medals. Jakotsu received his bronze first, then Bankotsu received his silver, and finally they put the gold around Sesshomaru's neck. Yuko, the reporter for ESPN, made her way to them for interviews in the same order asking questions about how it felt to attempt and land tricks that no one else was doing, or doing successfully, other than Sesshomaru of course. He made tricks up on a daily bases. Kagome managed to sneak her way over to Sesshomaru's side while Yuko was interviewing Bankotsu. She thought it was a lucky break. They hadn't let anyone near the trio through the entire thing, but somehow she was able to walk right over no questions asked. Yuko stopped in front of the couple and smiled.

"Congratulations on yet another Monster Games gold Sesshomaru. What's that now, the twelfth?" She asked.

"Tenth actually," He replied with a grin.

"As many times as I've watched the replay of your double back flip, it still seems unreal to me," she commented.

"I'm the one that somehow managed to land the thing for the first time and I still don't believe the replays."

Everyone on the platform shared a brief laugh and then Yuko nodded to Sesshomaru. He pulled his arm from around Kagome's waist and stepped away from her slightly while Yuko held the microphone near him.

"Kags, I didn't have the time with landing a double back flip and all to get the right hardware for the occasion; so I don't have a ring and for the time being, this will have to do."

Kagome was trying to figure out what the heck he meant as he pulled his medal from his neck. Why the heck would he need a ring for accepting his medal? Then he sank down to one knee before her and realization hit as the Staples Center erupted into screaming cheers. If he had planned this out a little better Sesshomaru would have committed every word he had thought of telling her to memory, but now that it was happening, words failed him. The only thing he could think to do was just flat out ask the question.

"Kagome, will you marry me?" He asked holding the gold medal towards her on his palm.

Kagome stood in shocked stillness, blinking slowly as she tried to process what he had just asked her. He remained on one knee smiling up at her and a little voice in the back of her mind, the part that wasn't shocked into a catatonic state, screamed 'Say yes!'.

"...yes," she managed to squeak out. Great, her voice _and_ her brain weren't working now.

Sesshomaru's smile widened and he was again on his feet. He carefully placed the medal around her neck before pulling her to him and kissing her softly. Moments passed before they broke apart, Kagome's eyes shining with unshed tears of happiness. She grabbed the medal from around her neck and looked at it a moment before looking up at him.

"I already have one of my own though," she teased.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes before looking down at her with a playful smirk.

"I know. I'm surprised you're not wearing it now. It's just a stupid symbol. I couldn't ask without anything to give you. We'll go pick out a ring first thing tomorrow."

"It doesn't have to be the _first_ thing we do tomorrow," she teased as she hugged him again.

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The music was pounding, the lights were low, and the alcohol was flowing freely at the Red Bull after party for the participants of the Monster Games. Sesshomaru, being sponsored by Red Bull, was of course the guest of honor. Everyone from the group celebrated the fact that they all but swept the podium in every event. Kagome and Sesshomaru had been inseparable from the moment he had proposed. They were at one of the tables in the darkest part of the club, Sesshomaru sitting in one of the tall chairs with Kagome sitting across his lap. One of his arms was loosely wrapped around her hip while his other hand rested on her thigh just above where her skirt ended. Her hands were fisted in this black button down shirt and her lips were attached to his neck. Sesshomaru smirked. She was obviously aroused and the amount of alcohol she had consumed had put an end to any reservations she normally held about such public displays of affection. Twice he had to stop her from turning to straddle his lap. Exactly _why_ he was stopping her, he wasn't so sure. If it wasn't for his obligation to his sponsor he would have taken her back to their hotel room half an hour ago. As she latched onto his earlobe he thought,

 _'Sponsor be damned.'_

Sesshomaru wrapped one hand around her back while slipping the other underneath her knees as he stood. He turned and set her down on the chair he had just vacated. She whimpered in disappointment and he smiled as he brushed a few stray hairs from her face.

"I'm going to get us a cab. Can you wait here for me?" He asked loud enough that she could hear him over the music.

She nodded and then grabbed the collar of his shirt pulling him down to kiss him briefly. She pulled away just enough that she could speak, their lips still touching.

"Hurry back," she whispered, eyes still closed.

He nodded and pressed his lips to her forehead before turning and heading towards the bar. He had the bartender call a cab and then said his obligatory goodbyes to any of the people from Red Bull that still remained. A few short minutes later he returned to the table where he had left Kagome to find her missing. He sighed and scanned the place she'd most likely be, the dance floor. Sure enough that's where he found her with Jakotsu pressed between her and Sango. He couldn't stop the crooked half grin that tugged at his lips as he started towards her. Sesshomaru grabbed Kagome's hips from behind and pulled her to him roughly. Without missing a beat, her head fell back against his chest as she looked up to see who had grabbed her. She smiled and pushed back into him as her hips swayed to the throbbing beat of the music. He growled softly as she teased him and he let his hands slip down her thighs as far as he could reach causing her already short skirt to ride dangerously high. Her head lulled to the left exposing her neck and he wasted little time in trailing open mouthed kisses across her soft flesh. Someone tugged on his shirt sleeve and he begrudgingly left his task and turned to find out what they wanted. It was Kouga.

"Inuyasha and I are heading back to the hotel," he said, noting Kagome's obvious state of inebriation. "He's pissed off one too many boyfriends and the owner's asked him to leave. How long do you think you two will stay?"

Sesshomaru had to bite back a groan as Kagome ground against him a little more forcefully.

"I actually just called for a cab."

"Can we just ride back with you then?"

Sesshomaru seriously considered saying no. He wanted nothing more than to get Kagome alone. Well, alone as you could be with a cabby in the front seat.

"I guess," Sesshomaru answered, deciding that he really didn't care at this point if things got a little carried away with others watching. "Where is he?"

"Outside. The bouncer's making sure that's where he stays," Kouga couldn't help but laugh.

Sesshomaru nodded and grabbed Kagome's hand, threading her fingers with his own as he started towards the entrance of the club. Kagome gave a tipsy giggle and turned back towards Kouga.

"Come on Spellshull," she slurred reaching out towards Kouga.

Kouga smiled and grabbed her other hand.

"Had a little bit 'ta drink tonight Kags?" Kouga asked with a grin.

She giggled again and they made their way out the door and into the fresh night air. Inuyasha was leaning against the wall of the building grumbling to himself. Sesshomaru noticed the yellow cab first and started for it with Kagome in tow, Kouga trailing behind, still holding her hand.

"Where's Yaaasha?" Kagome asked looking back at Kouga expectantly.

Inuyasha, having heard Kagome's interesting interpretation of his name, started towards them.

"You're leaving too?" He asked obviously surprised.

"Yes," Sesshomaru answered as he opened the rear passenger's side door of the cab.

"Shot gun!" Inuyasha said as he lunged towards the car.

Kouga climbed into the back seat first as Sesshomaru directed, followed by Kagome, then himself. After everyone was situated, the cab pulled from the curb and started towards the hotel once Inuyasha gave him the information. Kagome gave a big sigh and leaned her head on Sesshomaru's shoulder. He was surprised at her suddenly subdued behavior. About a block later she began rubbing his leg with long stokes from his knee to his upper thigh, every so often her hand would travel inward. Another block and her hand was underneath his shirt touching every inch of his skin she could reach. The covered round-about driveway of the hotel came soon after that and Sesshomaru opened the door, had both himself and Kagome out of the car, and was headed towards the large glass doors of the lobby before Inuyasha had even managed to open his own door.

"Hey! Don't stick us with the cab you freakin' called for!" Inuyasha yelled after the couple.

Kagome laughed as Sesshomaru's longer stride forced her into a slight jog so she could keep up. The toe of her calf-high boot caught on the curb and she stumbled forward. Sesshomaru spun and caught her before swinging her up into his arms so that he was carrying her bridle style. The whole movement caused Kagome to become unbelievably dizzy and she began giggling again.

"Prick," Inuyasha grumbled as he reaching into his back pocket for his wallet. "Just 'cause the lucky bastard's gonna get laid."

 **DIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRT**

Kagome gave a muffled grunt as Sesshomaru pressed her roughly against the wall with his entire body. Their mouths met hungrily, both attempting to gain the upper hand of the kiss. Kagome whimpered when Sesshomaru's knee pressed between her thighs. She gripped his shoulders tightly as she raised one knee to rest on his hip. He pulled away for a much needed breath and quickly gripped the hem of her tank top before pulling it up her torso and over her head. He grunted an approval as her finger tips began to fumble with the buttons of his shirt and his worked at the clasp of her bra. Newly naked skin met as he again pinned her to the wall. He nipped at the pulse point on her neck before moving lower to her collarbone. Her hands somehow managed to make their way between them and she worked at unfastening his pants. Once the seemingly impossible task was complete, she pushed them from his hips. He took a step back, using one foot then the other to push his shoes off, and then he stepped out from his pants. Kagome reached for his boxers at the same time he reached under her skirt. She gasped as his hand came into contact with the heated flesh of her inner thigh. He smirked before running his hand to the outside and up, hooking two fingers into the thin elastic of her panties and jerking them down her legs.

The necessity to touch one another won out over the desire to rid each other completely of clothing. They stumbled towards the bed, Kagome practically shoving Sesshomaru backwards as she awkwardly pushed his boxers from his hips, their tongues once again battling for dominance as they shared a heated kiss. Once they neared the bed, and Sesshomaru had managed to kick his boxers free, Kagome hooked her ankle around his and pushed into him, causing him to fall back onto the bed. He drug her with him and as she landed on top of him she gave a surprised 'eep' which quickly turned into a giggle then a moan as his mouth attached itself to her neck. His hands gripped her thighs as he expertly moved them so that he was now hovering over her. He left a trail of soft kisses down her neck and chest before paying homage to her breasts. He gently grazed his fangs over one pebbled nipple and Kagome arched off the bed with a loud gasp. His hand that wasn't supporting his weight slipped down her side, over the fabric of her short pleated shirt, down her thigh to her knee, and gripped it, bringing her leg forward to pin it between his shoulder and her chest. He entered her in one swift motion causing them both to cry out at the feeling. Kagome gasped for breath as he began a quick pace, pounding into her roughly. Kagome whimpered desperately as she neared her peak. It didn't take much, a handful of more thrusts and she was screaming out her rapture. Sesshomaru's pace slowed as she rode out the wave. Her eyes slowly opened, hazy and unfocused. Sesshomaru smirked and Kagome somehow managed to push herself onto her elbows so that she could work at wiping that cocky grin off his face.

The leg he didn't have trapped rode high on his hip and she pushed against him with it. He let her other leg fall free as he rolled onto his back willingly and their new position pulled a throaty moan from Kagome's lips. A few awkward seconds later he had moved so that his head was on a pillow and she could grasp the headboard. She began a deliberately slow pace, rocking her hips forward, moaning in bliss as she did. Soon she was gasping in short, panting breaths as Sesshomaru rocked his hips upwards in time with her motions. She gave a choked exclamation and her head fell back as he grabbed her hips before surging upwards with his own. Soon he stilled and allowed her to designate her own pace once more. He brought his hands to her breasts and her hands wrapped around his wrists. That's when he heard the click of a door unlocking. He assumed that it was Inuyasha and Kouga finally reaching their room next door. His focus was on Kagome's face as she gave a lust-filled cry.

"Awww God damn it! I told you. Now I've got to go stab my eyes out. I told you they'd be having sex," Inuyasha's unpleased voice filled the room and the couple stilled, turning their heads to look at him.

Kouga stood at Inuyasha's side, his smirk giving away that he was enjoying the view.

"Oh, don't let us stop your fun," he said with a wink.

Sesshomaru and Kagome stared at them, neither saying a word. Kagome was on the verge of being drunk, but not to the point that she didn't thank God that she was still wearing her skirt and Sesshomaru's hands were still attached to her breasts, effectively blocking everything vital from their intruders' viewing pleasure, or at least Kouga's. Inuyasha at least had the decency to look at the wall.

"Umm..." Kagome started hesitantly after a minute. "Is there something you guys wanted?"

"Not really. Just wondering what time you were planning on heading over to get the gear and stuff," Kouga replied.

"Probably sometime after ten," Sesshomaru answered.

"Do you want to grab breakfast first?" Kouga asked continuing with the normal conversation considering the abnormal circumstances.

"Uh, sure?" Kagome asked looking down at Sesshomaru.

He nodded and looked up at her for a second before turning back to Kouga.

"Anything else?" He asked.

Kouga shrugged.

"Nah. We'll let you guys get back to it." He winked again before grabbing Inuyasha by the shoulder and starting towards the door. "See you two in the morning," he called over his shoulder.

Once the door clicked shut Sesshomaru and Kagome turned their heads to look at one another. Kagome looked slightly amused considering what had just happened. Before he could say anything she started laughing.

"That's a first," she laughed.

"It better be the last," he grumbled. "How the hell did they get a room key anyway?" He wondered aloud.

Kagome rocking her hips forward switched his train of thought immediately.

"Where were we?" She asked seductively.

Sesshomaru grinned before rolling them over so that he was once again above her, her knees gripping at his hips.

"I believe you were in the middle of screaming my name," he replied before kissing her reddened lips.

"I was?" She teased.

One deliberate thrust had her eyes drifting closed and a moan escaping her lips.

"Oh...right," she gasped.


	23. AS NORMAL AS IT EVER WAS

**Chapter 23: AS NORMAL AS IT EVER WAS**

Inu was annoyed with the fact that everyone, with the exception of Izayoi and himself, had slept in until almost eleven. After an extremely late breakfast and a lengthy lecture on responsibility, he sent them to the Staples Center while he drove Izayoi to the airport. He had taken Sesshomaru's truck, which was already loaded with everyone's suitcases, while Sesshomaru took Inu's so they could hook on the bike trailer and get everything loaded. Kouga, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango had ridden over with Sesshomaru and Kagome. And Hiten, Jakotsu, Ginta, and Hakkaku rode over with Bankotsu in his truck.

When Inu arrived at the Staples Center around one they had made little progress in the way of loading anything. He joined Kouga, Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru as they were preparing to load some of the bikes into the back of the truck.

"Did mom catch her flight okay?" Inuyasha asked.

Inu nodded.

"I see you didn't get much done in my absence," he said looking at Sesshomaru.

"Kags is the only one of us that's been _on top_ of things," Kouga commented with a smirk.

Inu looked at him questioningly because of his odd emphasis of on top, while Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at him, and Inuyasha shuddered involuntarily.

"She's had Jakotsu helping her with all the gear," Koga explained. "They've already gotten it all out here and ready to load."

"Hey Sesshomaru," Miroku called out as he crutched his way over to the group. "One of the officials said they need you to sign something before you leave."

"Sign what?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I don't know. He said it was something you had missed on your paperwork."

"You really should get to the _bottom_ of that Sess," Kouga offered with a chuckle.

"Oh for the love of God, shut up!" Inuyasha shouted.

"Knock it off and start getting these bikes loaded," Inu scolded, wondering what was going on with his youngest son to cause him to randomly yell like he had.

Kagome and Jakotsu walked over from Sesshomaru's truck where they had just finished flinging the gear-bags into its bed.

"Do you need any help loading the bikes?" Kagome asked.

"Sure, we all know you're experienced at putting them in," Kouga paused with a grin. "Well, maybe not _all_ of us." He glanced at Sesshomaru for his reaction.

Kagome blushed and playfully punched Kouga in the upper arm while Sesshomaru glared at him.

"No. No. NO! Bad memories. Get 'em out! _Get 'em_ _out_!" Inuyasha cried, repeatedly slapping the palm of his hand against his forehead.

Inu, Jakotsu, and Miroku were completely confused as to what was going on between Sesshomaru, Kagome, Kouga, and Inuyasha.

"Knock it off and help me load these bikes," Sesshomaru said coolly.

Kouga laughed as he climbed in the bed of the truck. Sesshomaru pulled the first bike off of its stand and pushed it towards the ramp that was balanced on the tail gate. He took a running start and pushed the bike up the ramp and into Kouga's waiting hands. Inuyasha had the next bike ready and followed suit as soon as Kouga had the first one tied in. As Sesshomaru grabbed the third bike Kagome asked,

"Is a third one going to fit?"

"It'll be tight fit, but since when is that a bad thing?" Kouga grinned deviously and winked at Kagome.

"Think happy thoughts... Hot trophy girls. Hot trophy girls," Inuyasha chanted under his breath.

Sesshomaru shook his head and began to push the bike he held up the ramp. About halfway up it he lost his momentum and the weight of the bike began to push its way back into him, forcing him to back the bike down the ramp and attempt it again.

"Come on. You're not thrusting hard enough. Maybe you should switch positions," Kouga said with a snicker. "Maybe you should get a better grasp on the bike," he added putting his hands out in front of him like he was grabbing something.

" _Naked_ hot trophy girls. _Naked_ hot trophy girls." Inuyasha was chanting louder now.

"Oh my God!" Jakotsu suddenly gasped, then grinned wildly. "You walked in on them getting it on didn't you?"

"What?" Inu asked looking from a grinning Kouga, to a blushing Kagome, to a dagger-glaring and growling Sesshomaru, to an almost hysterical Inuyasha. "Never mind, I _don't_ want to know."

He turned and headed for Bankotsu's truck where they were loading some of the other bikes.

"Are you serious?!" Miroku asked incredulously. "Why didn't you invite me? Why do I always miss the good stuff?" He pouted.

"Trust me," Inuyasha said almost gagging. "There was nothing good about it. I'm scarred for life!"

"You're such a baby," Jakotsu teased.

"How could you be scarred for life?" Kouga asked. "It was totally hot."

"You think you're really funny don't you?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kouga smirked. "I _did_ think I was pretty hilarious."

"Yes. Hardy har har," Sesshomaru mocked.

"That's the last free show you ever get," Kagome said glaring at Kouga. "Next time we're charging you."

"Next time?!" Sesshomaru and Kouga shouted in unison.

"How much and when?" Miroku asked grinning like a fool.

"Please gouge my eyes out now," Inuyasha whined.

"You'd still have the wonderful memories," Jakotsu said grinning.

"Make it stop!" Inuyasha hissed and all but ran towards the other truck.

Sesshomaru turned back to Kouga.

"Can we finish this?" He asked.

"I suppose."

"What? No crappy innuendos?" Sesshomaru asked sarcastically.

"Give me a second will ya? I already used all the good ones up," Kouga laughed as Sesshomaru ran the bike up the ramp for the second time.

 **DIRT*DIRT*DIRT*DIRT*DIRT*DIRT*DIRT*DIRT*DIRT*DIRT*DIRT*DIRT*DIRT**

It was just after eight pm when the small caravan stopped for dinner. Ironically at the same Denney's they had stopped at for lunch on the way to Los Angeles. Kagome slid out of the passenger's side of the truck.

"I hate this part," she grumbled.

"Stopping to eat?" Sesshomaru asked curiously.

"No. Attempting to walk after sitting in a truck for seven hours," she clarified as she stretched her arms high over her head.

He nodded. Traffic had been horrendous on the way out of Los Angeles and had added an extra hour to their driving time. They were still two hours away from home, but they were all grateful for the break and the chance to walk. Sesshomaru had been the first to reach the door of the restaurant, and held it open for the others to walk through. They were seated at almost the exact same three booths they had been seated at five days before. Their waitress brought them menus and took their drink order, before leaving them temporarily to let them choose what they wanted to eat. Kouga and Jakotsu sat at the same table as Sesshomaru and Kagome. Inuyasha was still too disturbed from the previous night and all the comments from earlier that morning, so he avoided the couple like the plague.

"What are you thinking of ordering?" Sesshomaru asked Kagome as he looked over his own menu.

"Not sure. I kinda want breakfast, but maybe a burger."

He looked up from his menu and across the table where she sat.

"Breakfast? It's eight at night," he pointed out.

"And how do you go from breakfast to a burger?" Kouga asked also looking up from his menu.

She shrugged a shoulder.

"Dunno. It's just what sounds good."

"Breakfast does sound kinda good," Jakotsu chimed in as he flipped through the menu next to Kagome.

"No way, it's a steak all the way," Kouga said.

Silence fell across the table for a moment before Jakotsu laughed. The other three looked at him wondering where the outburst had come from. He looked over at Kagome before placing his menu in front of her. He pointed at one of the pictures and laughed again.

"Fate," he said with a grin.

"Oh my gosh! That is _too_ funny," Kagome said picking the menu up from the table and pulled it closer to her face. "I have to get that."

"What?" Sesshomaru and Kouga asked in tandem.

She flipped the menu around and set it down in front of them much the way Jakotsu had done for her. She, however, let them search for the item.

"What? I'm not seeing it," Kouga said.

Sesshomaru smirked when he found what had to have been what they were talking about.

"The Lumberjack Breakfast?" He asked.

"No way," Kouga said pulling the menu closer to himself. "That's unbelievable. Are you going to get it?"

"I have to, don't I?" Kagome asked with a giggle.

"You have to admit, seems like it was meant to be," Sesshomaru said sliding Jakotsu's menu back to him.

"Well, it's settled then," Kagome said grinning.

The waitress returned and took their orders, wondering why Kagome looked so excited about her breakfast.

"So... What's the plan when we get home?" Kagome asked.

"Sleep," Kouga said with a sigh.

"Unpack and have things get back to normal," Sesshomaru said as he leaned back into the booth.

"Yeah, because they were so very normal before," Kagome said leaning on the table.

"Fine," he conceded. "As normal as they have been. I think we should take a day or two to recover from the Games, and then get back into the routine of training."

"What's the plan for those of us that pulled off back flips in the Games?" Jakotsu asked before taking a drink of his Iced Tea.

"We'll start on variations. It's the next logical step, especially for your brother," Sesshomaru said in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Hey, I was just as surprised that he managed to pull off a Shaolin Back Flip as everyone else," Jakotsu defended himself.

"It's his neck," Sesshomaru said, shaking his head.

"You're hardly one to criticize his lack of practicing a trick before attempting it in a competition," Kagome said with a slight frown.

"Less we forget you also fall into that category," Sesshomaru threw back at her with a matching frown.

"I practiced that back flip dozens of times."

"Yet I had no idea that you were planning on doing it. I had never seen you practice it."

"Now, now," Jakotsu said motioning with his hands. "Let's all forgive and forget. You were both stupid," he said with a big smile.

Their food arrived before either Sesshomaru or Kagome could make a comment. The waitress arrived with three others to help her bring out all the plates. The teenage girl that was serving their table showed up with a big smile and four plates balanced in her arms.

"Okay, who had the New York steak?" She asked in a bubbly voice.

"That would be me," Kouga said with a grin.

She smiled at him for a few seconds before setting his plate down and grabbing one of the three that were balanced on her left arm.

"The French Toast?" She asked.

"Me," Jakotsu said and she set his plate down in front of him.

"The Seafood Pasta?"

Sesshomaru simply nodded. She handed him his plate and then looked at the last one she shared.

"That leaves the Lumberjack."

"That's me," Kagome almost squealed.

"Someone's excited," the waitress said with a slight laugh.

"It's an inside joke," Jakotsu explained.

"Can I get you guys anything else?"

"No, I think we're fine. Thanks," Kouga said with a wink.

"Sure," she answered smiling.

After she left Kagome looked up from her plate and at Kouga.

"I'm surprised you didn't ask for her number when she asked if we needed anything," she said as she scooped up a fork-full of scrambled eggs.

"Aww, come on. I wasn't that bad. All I did was be nice," Kouga said cutting into his steak.

Kagome scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Please. You winked at her. I'm half surprised you didn't grab her and throw her down on the table," Kagome said laughing.

"Give me a little credit," Kouga grumbled.

"It's a little hard to do given your track record," Kagome continued.

"Can we eat without bringing up Kouga's track record with waitresses?" Sesshomaru asked pleadingly.

Kagome smirked and returned to her meal.

"Waitresses?" Jakotsu asked Kagome in a whisper.

"It's a conversation we'll have to have later," she answered glancing at Sesshomaru.


	24. INSANITY'S PLAYGROUND

Chapter 24: INSANITY'S PLAYGROUND

Kagome stepped into the kitchen with a groggy groan. Kouga looked up from his bowl of cereal and grinned.

"She lives!" He teased.

"Barely," Kagome confirmed as she made her way to the refrigerator.

"It's ten in the morning," Kouga continued. "I've been up since eight."

"Good for you," she replied sarcastically turning to face him, orange juice in hand.

He smirked pointing his spoon at her.

"You know I've seen you topless now. There's really no need for you to wear shirts anymore."

She couldn't help but laugh as she pulled out the chair across from him and sat down.

"As much as I'm sure you would enjoy that... Your cousin would kill you if he knew you suggested it."

"Oh come on, I think he'd be a good sport."

"It's not going to happen," Kagome said shaking her head.

"Please?"

"No."

"How about just when we're alone?" Kouga attempted to compromise.

"Do you seriously think that sounds like a good idea? I can just imagine how Sess would react walking into the house with the two of us alone and me shirtless."

"It's not like it's anything I haven't seen before," he pointed out with a shrug.

"No Kouga."

"You're not as fun as I thought you were," he pouted.

"I'm fun," she retorted. "Just not the naked boobies kind; or at least not with you."

They laughed.

"So, where is everyone?" Kagome asked changing the subject.

He stuffed another spoon full of cereal into his mouth before answering.

"The guest house."

"Ginta and Hakkaku haven't left yet have they?"

"About an hour ago."

"And no one woke me up so I could say goodbye?" She asked annoyed.

Kouga shrugged.

"Didn't think it was that important."

Kagome shook her head and changed the subject.

"Does Sess have anything planned for today?"

"I don't think so."

"We should take advantage of having so many people around and play a game."

"A game?" He asked interested.

"Yeah, we could pair up. Maybe play on Hell Track."

"You've got to convince Inu to join in so we have an even number. Miroku's in a walking cast, but still out and I doubt Sango will want to. Not when she sees what some of the obstacles are."

"It shouldn't be a problem. Inu's easily convinced."

 **DIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRT**

"I call Yasha!" Jakotsu squealed.

"Aww man," Inuyasha groaned.

"He's the only one left anyway," Kouga pointed out.

"It worked out so perfectly for me," Jakotsu whispered to Kagome.

She nodded.

"Almost as if it was planned," she said with a wink.

"To warm up before we head over to the Hell Track, we're going to do some dollar challenges," Sesshomaru announced.

"The first challenge will be the fastest lap around the practice track on a two-fifty," Miroku said looking up from the list Kagome had given him.

"Each member of the team will have one lap," Izayoi added. "The person with the fastest lap will win a dollar."

"Oooo. A dollar," Bankotsu said with false enthusiasm.

"I'll take any challenge for a dollar!" Kouga shouted grabbing his helmet from the handlebars of his bike.

"So I guess we'll meet you over there," Kagome said as she threw her leg over the seat of her bike.

The others did the same and kick-started their bikes before riding over to the practice track. Inu along with Izayoi, Miroku, and Sango, who would be acting as the judges followed in the Mule. Sango held the note book that would hold everyone's times and called out the first team.

"The first team will be... Kouga and Inu."

"Starting things off with the best. That dollar is as good as mine!" Kouga said laughing as he let the clutch out on his bike and rode away from the group and to the starting line.

Izayoi walked over next to Kouga where she would be in charge of the stop watch.

"Ready?" She asked loud enough for Kouga to hear. Kouga nodded and then she yelled, "Go!"

Kouga took off with a spray of dirt behind him. He made quick work of the track and came in with a time of two minutes and eighteen seconds. Once he found out his time he hopped off his bike so Inu could use it. Inu pulled on his helmet as Kouga gave him pointers.

"It's fastest lap," he pointed out.

"Right," Inu said with a smirk.

"Try not to suck," Kouga said with a couple pats to the back of his helmet.

"Right, no sucking," Inu answered with a nod.

Izayoi repeated her starting process and Inu tore around the track for his lap achieving a time of two minutes and twenty-one seconds. Sesshomaru and Kagome were called to do their laps next and Sesshomaru took the lead with a lap time of two minutes and five seconds. Kagome tied with Inu with a time of two minutes and twenty-one seconds.

"How weird is it that we had the same time?" Kagome asked Inu while Bankotsu and Hiten started their laps.

"It definitely falls under the unusual category," he agreed. "It's a shame it's not the winning time."

"There's always Hell Track," she suggested with an evil grin.

"Ah yes, the Hell Track. I have a feeling we're going to require several ambulance trips before the day is done."

"Maybe even a helicopter," Kagome added excitedly with a gentle elbow to his ribs.

"Anything's possible," he admitted.

After their laps were complete Bankotsu's time was two minutes and twenty seconds. While Hiten's time was two minutes and twenty six seconds after he lost traction in one of the turns, costing him several precious seconds. Inuyasha and Jakotsu were the last team up.

"Do me proud!" Jakotsu shouted as Inuyasha took off from the starting line.

Inuyasha managed a time of three minutes and ten seconds after he crashed attempting to turn a double into a triple.

"You don't listen very well," Jakotsu said frowning. "I told you to do me proud and you failed."

"Well I'm _so_ sorry," Inuyasha said sarcastically. "I was trying to win."

"Well you sucked at it," Jakotsu said before readying himself for his own lap.

His final time was two minutes and ten seconds.

"That's how a lap is done," Kagome teased Inuyasha.

"Yeah, yeah. His time was better than mine."

"By a whole minute," Jakotsu added slyly.

"It's going to be a long day," Inu said with a sigh.

"So Sesshomaru won," Sango pointed out, holding a dollar out towards him.

"I think we should do tandem back flips next," Miroku said happily.

"What?" Inuyasha asked. "No way am I doing a tandem back flip with Jak."

"Get over it," Miroku said as he carefully climbed into the Mule. "See you at the ramp."

"Wait, we're not going to do this into the foam pit?" Hiten asked.

"Naw. Everyone can do back flips well enough, you'll be fine from steel to dirt," Kouga threw into the conversation.

"I've never done a tandem one though," Bankotsu said sounding concerned.

"I've only ever done them into the foam pit," Kouga said as an afterthought.

"Great! So no one's landed one on dirt before?" Bankotsu asked looking to Sesshomaru.

"Nope, it's never been done before," Kagome answered, then grinned deviously and added. "And I'm not just saying that so it looks cooler when Sess and I land it."

"You're so cute when you're being cocky," Kouga teased, grabbing Kagome around the waist causing her to squeak.

"Knock it off," Sesshomaru said warningly.

"Okay, back to the we're all likely to break out necks thing..." Bankotsu interrupted. "How bad is this going to hurt?"

"It's a soft landing," Kagome pointed out.

"Not as soft as the foam pit," Inu said.

"That's why it's a good challenge," Sesshomaru said as he kick started his bike. "There's more incentive to land it right."

 **DIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRT**

Inuyasha and Jakotsu were both sitting astride Jakotsu's bike preparing to be the first team to attempt the first tandem back flip from a steal ramp to a dirt one.

"The most important thing is to commit," Sesshomaru instructed. "Don't go into this half-assed."

"Any other pointers?" Jakotsu asked.

"Just go really fast and if you get scared close your eyes," Kagome offered.

"Don't tell him to close his eyes!" Inuyasha shouted from his position in front of Jakotsu.

"Okay... Go really fast," Kagome corrected herself.

"And hope for the best?" Jakotsu asked with a smile.

"I don't think there's much hope; but, yeah, you can hope," Sesshomaru said laughing.

"Hey Kags, tell me..." Jakotsu asked as he pulled his hands from the handlebars and placed them on Inuyasha's chest before squeezing. "This doesn't look gay does it?"

"Knock it off!" Inuyasha screeched.

"Oh come on Yasha," Jakotsu cooed beginning to rub Inuyasha's chest.

"Get off me!" Inuyasha yelled trying to get away from him, and almost causing them both to fall off the bike.

"Alright, calm down," Jakotsu laughed, grabbing the handlebars again.

Everyone was laughing at Inuyasha's reaction. Kagome coughed and took a deep breath, attempting to make a serious face.

"Nope Jak, nothing gay about that at all."

"I didn't think so, but I just wanted to check."

"Can we just get this over with?" Inuyasha begged.

"Remember to stay forward until you feel him pull back Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said seriously.

Inuyasha nodded in understanding and everyone took a step back as Jakotsu kick-started the bike. Jakotsu didn't waste time and quickly took off towards the steel ramp. When Jakotsu started up the ramp Inuyasha started leaning back, throwing off their synchronization and dooming the attempt all together. Jakotsu, already committing to the flip, attempted to pull the bike around anyway but only achieved half of the arc before the bike started its descent towards the dirt landing ramp. They both pushed away from the bike as best they could and landed a few feet from it, but on top of one another. Inuyasha lay awkwardly across Jakotsu's legs as they both tried to recover from the impact. Everyone quickly gathered around them and helped them to their feet once they stated that they didn't have any major injuries.

"That wasn't even a half-assed attempt," Sesshomaru said with a shake of his head as he helped Inuyasha off of the landing ramp. "It wasn't even a quarter-assed."

"Easy for you to say, that was one of the scariest things I've ever done," Inuyasha said angrily.

"You pulled out of it before he was even up the ramp," Sesshomaru scolded.

"I was freaking out!" Inuyasha yelled. Then after a minute added calmly, "I'm glad I don't have to do that ever again."

"Yes, check that one off the list," Jakotsu agreed.

"You have to do it again," Sesshomaru said attempting to not laugh.

"That's bull shit! I don't wanna do it again; ever!" Inuyasha spat as Sesshomaru helped him over to the Mule while Bankotsu helped Jakotsu.

"Fine, wuss out; it doesn't matter to me," Sesshomaru goaded.

Inuyasha grumbled a few choice words under his breath as Sesshomaru turned away.

"Okay, so don't do it the way they did it," Hiten said as he pulled his helmet on a few minutes later.

"You have to work together," Sesshomaru said turning towards Bankotsu.

"Right," Bankotsu agreed before walking over to where Hiten was waiting with Bankotsu's bike.

Bankotsu pulled on his helmet while Hiten hopped onto the bike and kick-started it. After a few attempts at taking calming breaths, Bankotsu gave up and threw his leg over the back of the bike, sitting down behind Hiten. Bankotsu rode a good distance away from the ramp and then turned around. He headed toward the ramp standing up and shifted through gears. He and Hiten flew up the ramp and were in almost perfect synchronization as Bankotsu pulled the bike around. He over rotated however and they landed on the rear tire, bouncing them both off the back of the bike. The crash wasn't anything horrible and both were on their feet before the others got to them.

"Well that sucked," Bankotsu said dryly.

"I totally thought you two had it for a second there," Kagome said.

"He over rotated," Hiten said pointing at Bankotsu over this shoulder with his thumb.

"I overcompensated," Bankotsu defended himself.

Kagome turned to Sesshomaru.

"Can we go next?" She asked grinning.

"No," Kouga answered before Sesshomaru could. "He's not going to land it before I do."

"There's no way in hell I'm attempting that," Inu said holding a hand out towards the ramp.

"You have to," Kouga said.

"No, I don't."

"Then who the hell am I going to go with?"

"Looks like you're out of the running for this one Special," Inuyasha said snickering.

"You can't bail out like that," Kouga grumbled to Inu.

"Grow up," Inu countered.

"That means we're the last team," Kagome said turning her attention back on Sesshomaru.

"I guess so," he answered with a tight smile.

"Oh no," Kagome said gripping his arm. "You're not backing out of this."

"I don't think this is the best idea," Sesshomaru started.

"No way am I letting you back out," Kagome continued.

"I'll go with you Kags!" Kouga jumped in.

"No. Absolutely not," Sesshomaru growled. "Her only chance of walking away from this would be if she's with me."

"How could I have forgotten that you're the best," Kouga said dryly.

Kagome all but drug Sesshomaru to his bike and shoved his helmet into his arms.

"Alright! Let's go."

"I didn't say that we were going to do it," Sesshomaru protested.

"Come on. Pleeeeeease?" Kagome begged.

With a sigh Sesshomaru pulled his helmet on.

"Once," he said. "Whether we crash or land it, we're never doing it again."

"Sure. Sure. Whatever," Kagome said excitedly as she jumped on his bike.

Sesshomaru climbed on behind her and kick-started the bike before riding off towards where he wanted to start his run from.

"I can't believe he's agreed to do this," Inu commented amused.

"He knows he'll land it," Kouga said.

"I think he'll crash," Inuyasha blurted.

"Wanna bet?" Kouga asked grinning.

"The usual?"

"Sure."

"Okay," Inuyasha nodded. "You're on."

The others watched as Sesshomaru started towards the ramp standing up on the foot pegs. He rocketed up the ramp and pulled the bike around fluidly, Kagome moving with him perfectly. He landed smoothly giving the impression that he did this sort of thing every day.

"Yes!" Kouga shouted throwing his hands in the air. "I won a dollar! That's exactly what I said would happen."

"Why does he have to be better than everyone at everything?" Inuyasha mumbled.

"That was awesome!" Jakotsu said in awe. "I hate him. No seriously, I hate him."

"That was freakin' epic!" Hiten hollered.

Sesshomaru made his way over to the group still standing up on the foot pegs, saying something to Kagome.

"That was just another example of another stunt that Sesshomaru made up because he excels at it and he knew he'd win," Inuyasha said moodily.

As soon as Sesshomaru stopped his bike and shut it off, Kagome turned her body awkwardly and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Oh my God! That was the coolest, most insane, totally reckless thing I think I've ever done and it was flippin' unbelievable!" Kagome cried talking so fast it was difficult to understand her.

She let Sesshomaru go long enough to rip her helmet off and then she reached for his. Her fingers were shaking so badly that she couldn't undo the strap on his.

"Get your helmet off," she ordered with a laugh.

"In a hurry?" Sesshomaru teased.

"Yes," Kagome answered as Sesshomaru pulled his helmet off.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him roughly, taking him off guard and almost causing him to drop the bike.

"Come on! We don't need to see that," Inuyasha moaned turning his back on the couple.

Kouga clapped his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"She's just showing her appreciation." With a deep sigh he added, "I should have been her partner."

"Wishful thinking," Jakotsu said shaking his head. "I highly doubt that would have been her reaction if it had been you she was riding with."

"Way to burst my bubble." Kouga frowned.

Jakotsu laughed.

"Sorry."

 **DIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRT**

"What the hell is this thing?!" Hiten cried in shock.

"It's the Hell Track," Sesshomaru answered grinning.

"It's aptly named," Inu said quietly. "I had no idea you kids were building all this out here."

"It's been done for a while, but with the competition season having started, we haven't had time to play on it."

"And how are we supposed to do this on two-fifties?" Bankotsu asked.

"We use the pit-bikes," Kouga answered.

"And you've done all this before?" Bankotsu asked pointing towards the dilapidated house.

"Nope," Inuyasha answered. "We built it all and then we had to abandon it."

"Come on, we'll do a walk-though before we grab the bikes," Sesshomaru said walking towards the house.

"This is insane," Hiten mumbled.

"I've noticed that most of the things these four come up with fall under that category," Jakotsu whispered back.

The group followed Sesshomaru over to the house and walked through the opening that used to be the front doorway. The door had been removed as well as all of the windows. The entire house had been gutted, nothing except the carpet remained on the floor. Any walls that weren't necessary for the structure to remain standing had been knocked out, leaving the house with as much open space as possible.

"Did you go on a rampage one day or something?" Inu asked. "This used to be a nice house."

"We weren't using it and I didn't have any plans for it, so I figured I'd make it useful," Sesshomaru explained.

"The useful thing was turning it into a deathtrap?" Jakotsu asked.

"I wouldn't call it that," Sesshomaru said with an almost loving smile as he looked around the open room. "I'd say injury inducing possibly, but not a deathtrap."

"So what was this place before it became 'Hell Track'?" Sango asked stepping further into the house.

"It was the house that was here when I bought the property," Inu answered.

"So you lived here?" Bankotsu asked.

"No. We had the main house built before we moved in."

"Are you all ready to hear the first obstacle?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Might as well get this over with," Inu sighed.

Sesshomaru turned back to the doorway and pointed.

"You'll start by riding through the doorway and into the living room." He began walking towards an archway that led into where the kitchen once was. "Then you'll ride through here into the kitchen and up this ramp and through the window."

"You're joking," Hiten said skeptically. "Is that ramp even going to hold?"

"Sure," Sesshomaru answered patting the plywood. "It's set onto where the sink used to be and what's left of the stove is under it for support as well as some dirt."

Where the window had once been, had been knocked out so that the space was larger for a rider and their bike to get through with relative safety.

"That's the first obstacle. Any questions?"

"So you'll ride through the house, up the ramp, and out the window?" Miroku asked.

Sesshomaru nodded.

"We'll do one obstacle at a time so it's easier to keep track of."

"Alright! Let's go get the bikes," Kouga said clapping his hands together and heading back outside.

The rest of the group followed and met where Sesshomaru and Kouga had left the pit bikes earlier that morning after Kagome had suggested riding on the track. With only having the four pit bikes, each team would get one bike to share. Kouga, having arrived at the bikes first, grabbed his bike, which had previously been dubbed 'The Special One'. Inuyasha grabbed his bike which was missing every part other then what was necessary for it to be usable. Bankotsu nabbed up Sesshomaru's bike with 'Ice Man' written on it. It happened to be the one in the best shape. Kagome had grabbed her bike, 'The Winninator'. Sesshomaru had known this would likely happen and he wasn't thrilled about it.

"I don't think I can ride a bike with pink grips and hearts drawn all over it," he commented.

"Don't be picking on my bike," Kagome threw back at him. "I kicked your ass on it in our last race remember?"

"Yes. You cheated."

"I don't recall that part," Kagome said with a hint of laughter.

Miroku hobbled his way into the middle of the group with Sango, carrying her notebook and pen, at his side. Izayoi had decided to go back to the house, not wanting to witness any more carnage.

"I guess we'll be judging on style and award each member of the team a score between one and five for each obstacle. The team with the most points wins," Miroku announced.

"You guys can go in whatever order you want," Sango added.

"I'll go first," Inuyasha said, kick-starting his bike.

"Sango, you go in the house and watch the ramp part, and I'll be outside to watch the landing part," Miroku directed.

"Alright," Sango nodded and headed towards the house again.

Once Miroku and Sango were set Inuyasha took off towards the house. He held his arms tight to his sides as he rode through the doorway and then he raced through the house towards the kitchen. His rear tire slid across the linoleum and he lost traction for a few seconds. Once he got the bike straight again, he flew up the ramp and out the window, landing hard on the front wheel and bouncing over the handlebars.

"Oh man! Are you okay?" Miroku asked attempting to help Inuyasha up.

"Yeah," Inuyasha groaned. "I did realize it was that far of a drop. Do I get a do-over?"

"Sorry," Miroku said sympathetically. "One run each."

"Damn it," Inuyasha spat as he picked up his bike.

Kouga was next to go and he had much of the same result after jumping through the window. Sesshomaru opted to go and was the first to land it successfully. When he returned back to Kagome he pulled her close and whispered instructions.

"Don't take the ramp going too fast. When you get to the top just roll off of it, be prepared for the impact."

She nodded and Bankotsu left the group for his attempt. When he came through the window, he had too much speed and knowing that the landing wasn't going to be much fun if he stayed with the bike, he pushed it away and landed on his right hip. He returned to the group limping as Inu left for his run. He too landed it, having heard Sesshomaru's instructions for Kagome. Kagome went next and she rolled up the ramp and actually stopped at the top before pushing herself off and landing outside. Hiten went next and after Bankotsu had told him to slow down prior to the jump, he became the fourth person to successfully complete the obstacle. Jakotsu was the last to go and he too landed the jump cleanly.

"That was easy," Kagome commented as everyone started towards the house so that Sesshomaru could explain the next obstacle.

"You only think that because you landed it," Inuyasha said bitterly.

"You're a sore loser."

"I didn't lose," he retorted.

"But you didn't land it. That makes you a loser," Kagome teased.

"The second obstacle-" Sesshomaru cut through their conversation before Inuyasha could reply. "Will start with you jumping through that window." He pointed to a large bay window on the far side of the living room. "There's a dirt ramp outside the house on that side. After you're through the window, you'll come around here to these support beams. Starting with the first one on your right, you'll weave through the four of them then back down them ending here." He stood in front of a large two by twelve piece of lumber that was lying across a short three foot wall that separated the living room from another room.

"It's like a teeter-totter," Sesshomaru explained. "Up and over that, then that completes the second obstacle."

"A teeter-totter?" Inu asked. "How do you kids come up with this stuff?"

"The point was for it to be challenging," Sesshomaru said before heading back outside to retrieve his and Kagome's bike. "I'll go first."

Since pretty much the entire obstacle was in the main part of the house, both Miroku and Sango stood against the far wall where they could see them jump through the window, weave through the support beams, and go over the teeter-totter. They heard the tale-tale scream of a pit bike that let them know Sesshomaru was planning on launching through the open window. He did just that, landing about eight feet inside the living room. He quickly headed towards the support beams and began weaving his way through them. Once he had finished that he headed towards the teeter-totter and carefully rode up it, balanced in the center and then rolled down it, finishing his run. He rode the bike out the front doorway and over to Kagome's side as Hiten flew through the window beginning his run. Sesshomaru stood up from the bike and held it while Kagome threw her leg over it.

"Remember that you're landing on carpet so it's going to grip a little better." He gripped her shoulder as he instructed her. "When you get to the teeter-totter, make sure your tiers are in the center and hesitate once you're over the wall."

Kagome nodded in understanding amused with the fact that he felt the need to explain every detail to her as if she had never ridden before. Hiten returned to the group handing his bike over to Bankotsu as Kouga headed for the ramp that would send him through the window.

"This one's so easy," Hiten commented. "If anyone manages to wipe out on this one, they seriously suck."

"How was the landing inside the house?" Jakotsu asked as he readied for his go.

"The tires wanted to grab at the carpet," Hiten offered with a shrug.

Jakotsu nodded and rode towards the house as Kouga came through the doorway. He stopped his bike so Inu could grab it then moved next to Sesshomaru.

"That stupid totter thing is harder than I thought it would be," he said with a grin.

"You didn't fall off of it did you?" Hiten laughed.

"No, but if you're not dead center it would be super easy to," He turned to Kagome. "Make sure you stay in the center."

"I've been told," she announced with a laugh.

Bankotsu started his run a few seconds after Jakotsu returned to the group and relinquished his bike to Inuyasha.

"Holy hell that teeter-totter was tricky." He shook his head. "It's way too easy to lose you balance on that two by twelve."

"We were going to make it a two by ten but we needed those for another obstacle," Kouga commented.

"Thank God you didn't. I almost went down and if the board had been any smaller I wouldn't have been able to stay on the damn thing."

Sesshomaru turned to Kagome and motioned for her to go next. She rode away from the group and waited for Bankotsu to emerge from the house. Once he did she quickly shifted through the gears on her pit bike as she headed towards the window. Once she landed inside she was surprised at the amount of traction the carpeting gave her. She quickly wove her way through the support beams and then stopped in front of the teeter-totter. She made absolutely sure that her front wheel was dead center on the wood before she began her ascent. Once she was above the wall she stopped again, placing her feet down on the wall on either side of the wood. She rolled her bike forward, using her feet to push off, and coasted down the other side of the teeter-totter before racing out the doorway.

"That was nuts," she laughed as she shut off her bike.

"You didn't fall did you?" Sesshomaru asked carefully glancing over her to check for injury.

"No." Kagome waved him away. "I took my time and it was simple."

Sesshomaru nodded as Inuyasha rode up next to Kagome.

"You made it?" He shouted over his bike.

Kagome nodded and, apparently pleased with the news, Inuyasha rode away to wait for his turn. Inu rode from the house a few minutes later laughing and shaking his head.

"I would have never thought something like that was even possible on a bike," he said to Sesshomaru.

"Wait until you see some of the other obstacles," Kouga said with a playful elbow to Inu's ribs.

Inuyasha was the last to go for this leg of the course and once he returned, everyone followed Sesshomaru back into the house, where they met up with Miroku and Sango so that Sesshomaru could explain the next obstacle. Sesshomaru led them through the house and into what at one point had been the master bedroom. It would have been hard not to notice the large steel ramp in the center of the room, or the massive hole cut into the roof a few feet away. Sesshomaru stopped next to the ramp and turned towards the group. Everyone other than Kagome, Kouga, and Inuyasha were shocked into silence.

"Obviously you go up the ramp and through the roof."

"You're shittin' me," Hiten said in awe.

"Once on the roof..." Sesshomaru began as he pointed to a plywood structure above and to the right of them. "You'll see a banked ramp hanging off of the side of the house. Ride through it, then over the peak of the roof and off the other side, landing on a dirt ramp."

"This one's gonna be scary," Kagome commented.

"Special came up with it, so all the blame goes on his shoulders if this doesn't work," Inuyasha said as he pointed in Kouga's direction.

"The trick to the ramp on the roof is momentum. If you stop or slow down enough, you'll fall," Sesshomaru offered to the group.

Miroku and Sango stayed outside where they had a better view of the ramp while the others went to collect their bikes. Jakotsu offered to be the first to go. Inuyasha patted him on the shoulder as Jakotsu revved the bike.

"This is gonna work," Inuyasha said to Jakotsu then turned to Hiten and shook his head 'no'.

"This is the worst idea of the day," Inu mumbled.

"It has a zero percent chance of working," Bankotsu added.

"Those are the best though, because you try and fail as miserably as possible," Hiten laughed.

"It'll work...in theory," Kouga said confidently.

Jakotsu shook his head twice as he amped himself up and gripped the handlebars as he started towards the ramp. He rode up it with what he thought was just enough speed to get him onto the roof. He landed roughly on the roof and slid down its slanted surface. He let go of the bike before it could drag him off of the roof with it. The bike landed in a puff of dust not ten feet from Miroku.

"Huh," Kouga huffed. "That worked so much better in my head."

"So many things tend to," Kagome said with a sympathetic pat to his shoulder.

Inu offered to go next, once Jakotsu had gotten down from the roof. He too landed roughly on the roof, going down on his side, but managed to angle the bike so that it slid onto the ramp instead of off the house. He carefully drug the bike to the edge before dropping it.

"Two to the house," Miroku commented with a smile.

"This is impossible," Hiten mumbled.

"I want to go next." Everyone turned to Kagome. "I think I can make it."

"If that bike starts to go, you let go of it," Sesshomaru instructed as he squeezed her shoulders.

She smiled at him as she kick-started her bike.

"Ride this out. No hesitating."

Kagome nodded.

"A dollar says I make it," she said in a cocky tone.

Sesshomaru laughed then nodded. Kagome headed for the ramp a little faster than either Jakotsu or Inu had, and launched herself a little further down the roof, away from the ramp that hung off the side of the house. She planted her foot down and revved the throttle, twisting the bike around and using its momentum to ride up the roof. Once at the top she stopped and carefully turned the bike around. Then she rolled back down the roof, twisting the throttle as she hit the edge of the banking ramp. She whipped through it and then quickly rode up and over the roof, landing on the dirt ramp on the opposite side of the house. No one inside the house could believe what they had just witnessed.

"I never would have even considered riding up the roof before heading towards the ramp," Bankotsu confessed.

"Me neither," Kouga added with furrowed brows.

Kagome rode into the room with a huge smile on her face. Her only focus was Sesshomaru.

"I believe..." She shut off her bike. "That you owe me a dollar."

"I... I guess I do," Sesshomaru answered still in a state of shock.

"Kaggie that was the sickest thing I think I've ever seen," Jakotsu squealed as he wrapped his arms around her yanking her from the bike and twirling her around.

Kagome laughed.

"Even better than my back flip?" She asked.

"Oh definitely," he answered with a wink.

"I'm next," Bankotsu announced grabbing the bike he and Hiten shared.

He wasted no time at all before heading up the ramp. He attempted the same move Kagome had used, but the bike's rear wheel lost traction when he was turning and he ended up sliding down the roof. He couldn't regain his momentum and the bike fell from the roof. He managed to grab onto the side of the ramp saving himself from the long fall to the ground. He hung there until Sesshomaru and Kouga brought over the ladder that both Jakotsu and Inu had used to get down from the roof.

"You just let a girl show you up," Hiten snickered.

"After having just tried that, I'll be the first to admit that Kags did show me up. That's freakin' hard," Bankotsu replied as he flopped down on the carpet next to the doorway.

Kouga decided he could wait no longer before trying out his creation and hopped onto his bike. He had it started and rocketing towards the ramp in seconds. He managed to land on the roof and get the bike turned around and up to the roof's peak, which was half the battle. He rolled down the roof and hit the ramp. Half way through he grabbed the break and practically stopped. He lost his balance because of the unusual angle and fell. He latched onto the edge of the roof for dear life as the bike crashed to the ground below him. Inu and Sesshomaru had the ladder underneath him a few seconds later, helping him down.

"That thing rocks like crazy when you get on it. I thought it was going to collapse," Kouga said taking a deep breath.

"So you grabbed the brake?" Sesshomaru asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I know; stupid right? I should have cranked the throttle." Kouga shook his head. "Looks like Kags might be the only one to win this one."

"I haven't gone yet," Hiten said with a cocky grin.

"Neither has Sess," Kagome pointed out.

"Might as well get this over with," Sesshomaru commented, grabbing the bike from Kagome.

"Don't get crazy with the throttle until you're almost completely turned around," Kagome directed.

Sesshomaru looked up at her after he kick-started his bike.

"Are you giving me pointers?" He asked, highly amused.

"Since I'm the only one that's successfully completed this obstacle, I figure it's my place to." She smiled back at him.

Sesshomaru shook his head as he let the clutch out on his bike and rolled forward. He hit the ramp with slightly less impulsion than anyone else, just barely making it through the hole and onto the roof. It made turning the bike easier when the time came and he rode up the roof at a pace just fast enough to insure that he wouldn't roll backwards. Once he was at the peak of the roof he turned the bike around then rode back down towards the ramp. He glided through the banked ramp and rocketed up the roof once more. He caught a slight amount of air over the roof's peak and landed at its very edge before rolling off and onto the dirt ramp below.

"Did I mention yet today how I hate him?" Jakotsu asked sarcastically. "I swear there's nothing he can't do."

"He made that look far too simple," Inu grumbled.

Sesshomaru walked into the room fighting a smile.

"Okay, Inuyasha's up." He turned towards his little brother. "That is, if you think you can do it."

"Shut the hell up," Inuyasha growled, shoving past Sesshomaru to grab his bike. "If you can do it, there's no reason why I can't."

"We'll see," Sesshomaru said sounding unimpressed.

Inuyasha kick-started his bike with more force then necessary and Inu shook his head at how easily Inuyasha let his brother get under his skin. Inuyasha flew up the ramp at a slight angle, landing further up the roof. He almost laid the bike flat as he turned it around and rode up towards the peak of the roof. When he neared the peak we went out of sight of the others inside the house, just like all the others had. They knew something had gone wrong when they heard Inuyasha cuss and the unmistakable sound of the bike sliding down the roof.

"He must have fallen off the other side," Sesshomaru said as he turned towards the doorway.

Kagome pushed past him, rushing outside. She stopped mid-step just outside the doorway.

"Oh Yasha," she sighed.

"I think I'm going to need a little help." He attempted to turn towards Kagome.

"Hold on," Kagome said attempting not to laugh as she turned around and poked her head back into the house. "Guys, you're not going to believe this."

"What, did he land on his feet?" Sesshomaru asked with a smirk.

"No," Kagome began, losing her battle to not laugh. "He didn't land at all."

"So he's on the roof?" Kouga asked as he stepped outside. "What the...?"

Sesshomaru stepped outside next to Kagome and tilted his head to the side.

"How in the hell did you manage that?"

Inuyasha hung off the roof from the rain gutter by the heel of his left motorcycle boot.

"Can you guys stop your gawking and get me down?! All the blood's rushing to my brain."

"What brain?" Kouga teased as he moved forward. "How the hell did you get caught?"

"I don't know. I was sliding off the roof and then stopped," Inuyasha spit back.

"Sess, grab him," Kouga instructed.

"Eh, let him fall," Sesshomaru said as he stepped up onto the dirt ramp next to Kouga. "It's going to take the both of us just to lift him."

Kouga nodded as they each grabbed onto Inuyasha lifting him up. His boot refused to come free though, so they tugged downward until his boot pulled through the seemingly unbreakable gutter, ripping a section of it from the roof. Sesshomaru and Kouga stumbled backwards, letting go of Inuyasha as he fell. Inuyasha landed hard on his back, knocking the air from his lungs.

"Ow," he gasped.

"Are you alright?" Kagome asked as she kneeled down next to him.

"Yeah."

Kagome started to help him up to his feet and finally completed the task once Kouga helped. Inuyasha heavily favored his left leg, clutching it with his hand.

"I must have pulled something," he said through gritted teeth.

"You should write a book." Jakotsu laughed as Kagome and Kouga set Inuyasha down on a log. "You could call it _How To Suck At Everything_."

"Oh you're _so_ funny," Inuyasha grumbled.

"I know," Jakotsu grinned. "It's a gift."

"How hurt are you?" Inu asked as he stepped outside.

"It feels like something tore in my knee and I pulled my groin for sure," Inuyasha answered as he tenderly felt his knee.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" Kagome asked.

"No," Inuyasha answered quickly. "I hate those things. It'll heal."

Kagome eyed him skeptically. Because he was a half demon, he healed slower than Sesshomaru or Kouga and if something was really wrong in his knee it might not heal correctly.

"Pull the Mule over here and I'll sit in it," Inuyasha ordered.

Kouga went to do as Inuyasha asked as Sesshomaru turned to Hiten.

"You're the last one that has to go for this obstacle."

"Saving the best for last," Hiten gave a cocky grin as he headed back into the house.

Everyone except Inu, Kagome, Inuyasha, and Kouga went back into the house to watch Hiten's go. They heard his pit bike roar to life and the sound of him landing on the roof a moment later. They watched as he appeared at the top of the roof and turned his bike around before riding from sight once again. As Kouga and Inu helped Inuyasha in to the Mule, Hiten rode over the peak of the roof and down, landing on the dirt ramp with a thud.

"So only three of us managed to land this one," Inu said conversationally. "Two on the same team."

"Yeah, next time Kags you're pairing up with me. It's not fair that you're on Sesshomaru's team," Kouga said as he leaned against the roll-cage of the Mule.

"How is that not fair?" She asked as she moved against Sesshomaru's side.

"It just ain't."

"Wow," Kagome commented with a laugh.

"So are we ready to move on?" Sesshomaru asked as the rest of the group came from the house.

"I think so," Miroku commented. "How badly hurt are you?" He asked Inuyasha.

"Enough that he's wimping out from the rest of the challenges," Kagome teased.

"The next one's over there," Sesshomaru pointed over his shoulder.

 **DIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRT**

"That one's seriously scary," Kagome breathed.

"You sure you still want to go first?" Sesshomaru asked, gripping her waist.

"If I have to watch the others do it, I'll just freak out more," she insisted. "Go over it again for me?"

Sesshomaru nodded and turned back towards the fourth obstacle.

"Up the ramp, across the gap, and land on the platform."

"It's awfully tiny," Kagome commented.

"Eight foot by ten foot," Kouga threw in.

"Then," Sesshomaru began again. "You cross the zigzag bridge and roll off of it onto another ramp."

"Are those two by tens?" Jakotsu asked.

"Yeah," Kouga and Sesshomaru answered together.

"You've got this," Sesshomaru offered to Kagome. "Just watch your speed up the ramp so you don't over shoot the platform. It's only a ten foot gap."

"Only," Inu echoed sarcastically.

"Take your time across the zigzag part," Sesshomaru directed.

Kagome nodded and kick-started her pit bike. She rode away from the steel ramp then turned around and started towards it again. She hit the ramp in third gear and rolled up it and across the ten foot gap between it and the platform she was supposed to land on. She landed hard, but managed to keep the bike from rolling off the edge. She pulled the bike over in front of the zigzag bridge and stopped.

"I don't think I want to do this anymore," she moaned.

"Come on Kaggie! You can do it!" Jakotsu cheered.

"Uh, you can't go left _or_ right, or you die," Kouga offered.

"Thanks. I noticed," Kagome bit back.

"And we don't even know if this thing's gonna work."

"Thanks for pointing out all the scary stuff before I go."

"You've already done the scary part," Kouga scoffed.

"This whole damn thing's scary."

"You're already up there. The only way down is crossing the bridge or falling off," Bankotsu added.

"Thank you Ban," Kagome hissed.

"You won't fall. You'll do fine," Sango called up to Kagome.

"Just don't look down," Sesshomaru added.

"Yeah, don't look down at the fifteen foot drop," Inuyasha yelled, for which he received a slap to the back of the head from Jakotsu. "Ow!"

"Don't listen to your idiot future brother in-law. You've got this!" Jakotsu cheered.

"I've got this," Kagome repeated to herself as she shifted into first gear.

She let the clutch out slowly and rolled forward inch by inch onto the first of the three two by eight's that made up the zigzag bridge. She went just fast enough that she wouldn't need to put her feet down to balance. If that happened she'd fall off for sure, there wasn't enough room to put her feet down. The supports for the bridge were close together, but the bridge still swayed slightly with the weight of Kagome and her bike on it. When she came to the first change of direction she had five whole seconds of panic before instinct kicked in and she cranked on the throttle slightly. She wobbled, but managed to save it and continued on down the second board. Everyone below watched in silence, afraid that the slightest sound would cause her to lose focus and she would fall. When she reached the second change of direction it went much smoother, and she sped up as she neared the end of the third board. She rolled off its end and landed halfway down the steel ramp below it. Once at the bottom, she stepped off her bike and let it roll until it fell over. She sank down to her knees before falling forward, the visor of her helmet keeping her face from falling in the dirt. Those of the group that could run, did, and were at her side in a matter of seconds.

"What's wrong? You landed it."

"Are you okay?"

"What the hell happened? It looked like you landed easily enough."

The questions flew at her from every side and she couldn't really make out who was asking what.

"Kagome? Are you hurt?" Sesshomaru asked.

She turned her head to the side and attempted a smile as she took a deep breath.

"Can we not do something that's that scary ever again? Please?"

"You don't have to do it again," he said softly, relieved that she wasn't hurt.

"I don't think it would be a good idea for anyone else to try," Inu said sternly. "Kagome weighs less than the bike she was on and it looked like the whole thing was going to come down a couple of times. There's no way it'll hold the weight of any of us."

"You all know I'm not one to back out on anything," Bankotsu began. "But there's no way in hell I'm trying that."

"I'm not trying it either," Jakotsu added.

"Then I guess we'll move onto the last one," Sesshomaru said, silently agreeing with the others.

"It's a miracle that Kagome made it across," Sango said as she crouched down next to her friend. "Do you need anything?"

Kagome shook her head, creating a divot with her visor.

"I just need to calm down. That seriously was scary."

"You sit here and rest, the rest of us will start on the next obstacle," Sesshomaru rubbed her back.

"Kay."

Sesshomaru stood and walked over to Kagome's bike. He picked it up and stood over it.

"The next obstacle is right over there." He pointed off to his left at a ditch. "You'll go off the bank, jump the ditch and land on the other side. Then you'll cross that log to get back onto this side. Once you're on this side again you'll go over there." He pointed to just beyond the steal ramp they were standing next to. "And jump the three k-rails."

"We're going to ride over that big assed log?" Hiten asked.

"That's not a log, that's a tree trunk," Jakotsu corrected.

"Yes, we cross it," Sesshomaru answered. "Any volunteers to go first?"

"I might as well get it out of the way," Hiten said with a grin.

He grabbed his bike and kick-started it, then rode towards the ditch with the throttle pinned. He aimed for the center of the dirt bank that had been packed into a slight lip to jump off of. He easily cleared the twelve foot gap the ditch offered and landed on the other side. He quickly turned around and headed towards the massive log he had to cross. He rode up the board that had been nailed to the log as a way to get onto it. Once on it, Hiten realized how difficult the prospect of crossing it would be. He hadn't taken into account that its surface was rounded and thus would make it incredibly difficult to cross it. He made it almost half way before he and the bike slid off the side of the log and landed in the ditch a few feet below.

"Sonuvabitch!" He roared. "I wanna go again."

"Nope," Miroku laughed. "One go per rider."

"Damn it that was hard," Hiten continued to cuss as he untangled himself from his bike and started to push it up the ditch where Bankotsu grabbed onto the handlebars and pulled it up the rest of the way.

"I'll go next," Jakotsu offered grabbing his bike.

"Is this even possible?" Inu asked Sesshomaru quietly.

"Absolutely," He answered before looking over his shoulder to check on Kagome.

"So you've done it then."

"No," he answered with a grin. "Not yet anyway."

Inu sighed.

"I assume that today will be the day."

"I hope so. It's not much fun when you can't win at a game you've created."

Jakotsu jumped the ditch and landed on the other side. He took his time turning around and getting on the log. Once on he attempted to ride across it as quickly as possible, making it just past half way before his rear tire slid off the side of the log, causing him to fall into the ditch.

"See?" Hiten asked. "It's harder than it looks huh?"

"Yeah," Jakotsu answered. "It's really slippery too."

"I didn't get far enough across it to notice that I guess."

"I'll show you how to get across it," Kouga boasted as he grabbed his bike from Inu.

"Oh yes. Why don't you put on a clinic for us?" Inuyasha suggested from the seat of the Mule.

"All you have to do is ask," Kouga answered with a shrug. "Now pay attention."

"I'm on the edge of my seat," Inuyasha drawled.

Kouga kick-started his bike and tore off towards the ditch, leaving a spray of dirt behind him. He jumped the ditch, landing with at least ten feet to spare on the other side. He whipped around and rode up the board onto the log.

"Do you think he'll actually make it across?" Jakotsu asked.

"It's hard to tell with Special. Sometimes he can actually do what he brags about-" Sesshomaru paused as Kouga started across the log. He got all of four feet before he fell off. "And other times, not so much."

"Wow Kouga! You sure as hell showed us," Inuyasha hollered from the Mule. "What awesome form you had as you fell on your ass. Really, I'm impressed."

"Shut the fuck up you little runt!" Kouga yelled back as he crawled out from underneath his bike. "I would have had that."

"Yeah it really looked like you were gonna make it," Hiten teased. "You fell off before I did."

"Shut up all of you," Kouga spat as he pushed his bike up to Inu.

Inu pulled the bike up onto level ground then threw a leg over the bike and kick-started it.

"I might as well get embarrassing myself over with for the day," he said as he turned the bike around so he could get a good run into the bank.

Kagome walked up to Sesshomaru's right side as Inu started towards the ditch. He put his arms around her as she circled hers around his waist.

"Better?" He asked as Inu flew across the ditch.

"I think so. I've stopped shaking at least."

"You didn't have to do it. You could have pushed the bike off the side and climbed down."

"I'm glad I did it," she confessed with a smile, and then pinched his side. "But never again. What were you thinking when you made it?"

He shrugged.

"It seemed completely feasible when I thought it up."

Kagome shook her head as Inu started across the log bridge. He got to the half way point before he sped up slightly. He began to wobble, but somehow managed to hold his balance over the last half of the log. His rear tire slipped off of the log in the last few inches, causing the back of the bike to fall sooner than he had been anticipating.

"This one's not looking like it's going to be that much fun either," Kagome observed.

"The secret is to stay in the center and not slowdown," Sesshomaru whispered.

The rear tire of Inu's bike caught traction as soon as it touched the ground and he rocketed towards the k-rail jumps. There was nothing more than a slight banking of dirt at their base to help get enough lift to get over them and he made it over all three easily.

"I can't believe that old bastard made it across that when I couldn't," Kouga grumbled as Inu rode back towards them.

"Good job old man," Inuyasha hollered from the Mule as Inu rode back into the group.

Kagome let go of Sesshomaru as he moved to kick-start his bike.

"I'll go next" he said as the bike roared to life.

He whipped the bike around and rode off in the opposite direction of the group, before turning around again and riding towards the ditch. He cleared it with more room to spare then Kouga had. He planted his right foot down before whipping the bike around towards the ditch again. He gained speed as he rode up the board and maintained it as he crossed the log. When he landed on the other side, he shifted into third and rode towards the k-rail jumps. Sesshomaru easily made it over the first two and on the third threw in a back flip. The top of his helmet coming just inches from the top of the k-rail.

"Show off," Kouga mumbled.

"Was a back flip really necessary?" Jakotsu asked.

"How am I supposed to follow that?" Bankotsu huffed. "If I make it across the log it will be a miracle, forget attempting a frickin' back flip off of a k-rail."

"Does that mean you're going next?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah, I guess," he said as he moved to straddle his bike.

He kick-started his bike, and then took off towards the ditch without waiting for Sesshomaru to get back. Sesshomaru rode up to the group as Bankotsu landed on the other side of the ditch.

"He didn't waste any time," Sesshomaru commented.

"Well, you did show us all up," Inu pointed out.

"A back flip? Really?" Kouga asked.

Sesshomaru laughed as he shrugged.

"It was a good way to end the day."

"You're head almost smacked into the k-rail," Kagome said as she pushed him away from the bike and took it from him. "A concussion and a trip to the hospital sounded like a good way to end the day?"

"I knew it would be close, but not that close," Sesshomaru admitted.

"Wow," Jakotsu said suddenly. "Ban almost made it across."

"Oh?" Sesshomaru asked turning towards the ditch.

They could just see the top of Bankotsu's helmet as he was picking up his bike.

"Damn it!" He yelled as he started pushing the bike up the side of the ditch. "Jak, help me out will ya?"

Jakotsu ran over to the edge of the ditch and grabbed the front tire of the bike, dragging it to the top of the ditch.

"It's all up to you Kags," Bankotsu huffed as he climbed to the top of the ditch. "You're our only hope of beating him."

"They're on the same team idiot," Hiten said. "If she wins, he wins."

"It's not about that anymore."

"Kaggie's already the winner of the day after she survived that last one. Plus she was the first to land the one with the roof."

"Agreed," Sesshomaru said squeezing Kagome's shoulder. "If you don't want to do this one-"

"Oh no, I want to go down in history as the only one that completed every single obstacle," she said as she kick-started her bike. "Plus, I'll never let any of you live it down that you were beaten by a girl." She laughed.

She shifted and let the clutch out, rolling forward.

"Remember to stay in the center," Sesshomaru called out to her as she started towards the ditch.

She cleared the ditch with a couple of feet to spare, then turned around and heading towards the log. She held a steady pace as she started up the board and held it while she crossed the log. She cranked the throttle as she finished the last three feet of the log, jumping off the end of it.

"Go Kags!" Jakotsu yelled as she started towards the k-rail jumps.

She made it over all three and rode back to the group.

"Yay for me!" She squealed as she ripped her helmet off.

"Is there anything you can't do?" Kouga teased.

"Apparently not," Kagome said with a grin. "I am a girl after all."


	25. OLD FASHIONED

**DIRT CHAPTER 25: OLD-FASHIONED**

Kagome sat on the edge of her and Sesshomaru's bed watching him as he undressed. If he was aware that she was watching, he gave no indication of it. She smiled when he turned towards her wearing only his boxers.

"What?" He asked with a grin.

"Nothing." She shook her head. "Just thinking."

"Of what? How you made all the guys look bad today?" He asked playfully as he moved next to her.

"As awesome as that was, that's not what I was thinking about."

"Oh yeah?" He took her hand in his. "Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to beg?"

Kagome laughed.

"I'd like to see that."

"I have no doubt that you would," Sesshomaru agreed with a grin.

Kagome sighed and shifted so that she was facing him.

"I wanted to ask you something."

Sesshomaru waited for her to continue, noticing that she seemed apprehensive.

"It's sort of about that engagement ring you've promised me."

"I know I promised that we'd go pick one out as soon as we got back but-"

"No, it's not that," Kagome interrupted. "I was wondering if I could get something else instead."

"You don't want a ring?" Sesshomaru asked confused.

"Oh I want a wedding ring," Kagome corrected with a slight laugh. "But there's something I want more than an engagement ring."

"Anything," Sesshomaru said, his mind racing to think of what she could want.

"It's... Well it's kind of a silly request," Kagome said, blushing slightly.

"Kagome, just tell me what you want," Sesshomaru said softly, squeezing her hand.

"I want...you to mark me," she breathed avoiding his gaze.

"You want a mating mark?" Sesshomaru asked surprised.

"Yeah," Kagome answered catching his surprised look. "I know it means we'll be permanently connected-"

"No, it's not that," Sesshomaru interrupted, not wanting her to think that he wouldn't want to be attached to her forever. "It just kind of old-fashioned."

"I know," Kagome nodded. "But-"

"If that's what you want, then of course," Sesshomaru said pulling her into his arms.

"Really?" Kagome asked against his neck.

"Yes," he answered kissing the top of her head.

"Tonight?" She asked hesitantly.

Sesshomaru laughed.

"You really want this don't you?"

Kagome pulled away from him just enough that she could look him in the eyes.

"Yes."

Sesshomaru nodded slowly before he bent his head, kissing her with light, lingering leisure. He broke their connection long enough to slip her tank top over her head. Their lips met once more, this time with more need. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. His mouth moved lower as he pulled her down onto the bed with him. Sesshomaru moved over her as his mouth moved over her breasts. He ran his tongue around her nipples, one then the other, until Kagome moaned and tangled her fingers in his hair. Then he made his way down to her navel. He gently bit her side as he slipped off the old pair of his boxers she wore down her thighs. Her back arched and she gasped his name when his kisses reached the juncture of her thighs. She gave a strangled cry as he took her into his mouth. She pulled at his hair and whimpered his name as he drank from her. He held her hips down with one strong hand while she writhed against him. Her body suddenly tightened as he brought her to her climax. Kagome whimpered his name as Sesshomaru continued to suckle at her. When he looked up, half forced to because she was pulling his hair, her other hand was fisted into the comforter and her eyes were closed tightly as she gasped for breath.

He quickly removed his last piece of clothing, grinning as he slowly moved back up her body, enjoying the warmth of her skin against his own.

"Oh God, Sesshomaru," she panted. "I need-"

He kissed away her words, taking her breath away once more. Sesshomaru slipped one hand between their bodies and stroked her in a circling motion. Kagome parted her legs with a moan of his name and he was deep inside her with one, breathtaking thrust, and Kagome's body immediately seized upon him. Her back arched from the bed and he moved onto his knees, pulling her with him. He held her in place with one hand on the small of her back, the other cupping her butt as he watched her ride him, pushing herself ever closer to her next release.

"This will hurt," he whispered against her neck.

Kagome moaned his name as Sesshomaru's hands slid up her back, holding her upper body closer against him. And then she came with one quivering spasm after another, her head fell back and she cried out his name as he sank his fangs into her soft flesh at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Kagome's body stiffened against his own, but Sesshomaru held her tight as the coppery taste of her blood washed over his tongue. Kagome finally relaxed in his hold, her body still trembling with aftershocks, and he laid her down on the bed once more. They both panted for breath as he carefully licked at the wound on her neck. Sesshomaru braced himself on one arm as his opposite hand slid down her sweat-slicked body, hooked her knee and brought it up to rest on his shoulder. He rocked his hips into her forcefully, seeking his own release. Kagome gripped at his sides, trying and failing to find some type of hold. She cried out as his pace quickened and his thrusts became deeper. When her next orgasm hit it was more intense than the ones before it and she lifted her hips from the bed, pressing into him, screaming out his name. Sesshomaru's powerful body plunged into her own as he found his release; his head falling to her shoulder as he groaned out her name.

They held onto one another for a long time before Sesshomaru moved to lie at Kagome's side, his breathing just swift and ragged as her own. She turned on her side and molded herself against him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, mindful of the mark he'd left on her.

"Incredible," Kagome murmured once she'd recovered some, letting out a contented sigh.

With words failing him, Sesshomaru pulled her tight against his side and kissed her forehead.

 **DIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRTDIRT**

"Kags sure was making a lot of unnecessary noise last night," Kouga commented when Sesshomaru came into the kitchen the following morning.

Sesshomaru smirked slightly.

"Sorry, she forgets that you're just down the hall," he apologized.

"It's still unnecessary," Kouga continued.

"I doubt she would agree. I know I don't. There's nothing better than hearing her scream my name as-"

"Shut the fuck up," Kouga grumbled.

Sesshomaru grinned in triumph.

"Good morning," Kagome chirped as she bounded into the kitchen.

"Yeah, yeah," Kouga grouched with a wave of his hand.

Kagome flew into Sesshomaru's arms and kissed him swiftly.

"What do you want for breakfast?" She asked.

"Hmm?" He scrunched his brow as if he was thinking hard. "I'd prefer the same thing I had last night."

Kagome scoffed and pulled away from him.

"That's not food," she said with a shake of her head.

"In some countries-"

"Shut up. You're getting bacon and eggs," Kagome cut him off. "Did you already eat Special?"

"No, thank God, or I would have just up-chucked it," Kouga answered pretending to gag.

"Aren't we funny this morning?" Kagome asked sarcastically. "Do you want some?"

"Bacon and eggs or...?" He trailed off with a smirk.

"Bacon and eggs, the other isn't on the menu," Kagome said lightheartedly.

"Sure." Kouga sighed.

Kagome began to riffle through the fridge for what she needed to get breakfast underway while Sesshomaru sat down at the table across from Kouga.

"What the hell did you give to her? Speed?" Kouga asked.

Sesshomaru shook his head and grinned.

"Nope, just a good old-fashioned-"

"Sesshomaru," Kagome interrupted with a cough.

Sesshomaru laughed.

"Yes?" He feigned innocence.

"Kouga doesn't need to know what it was that you gave me. Or want to know for that matter, I'm sure. No matter how good it was."

"If this is going to continue, I may think of moving into the guest house," Kouga said attempting to remain serious.

"Really?" Sesshomaru asked enthusiastically.

Kouga laughed and shook his head.

"Are you nuts?"

"Wishful thinking I guess," Sesshomaru sighed.

Kagome set a carton of orange juice and three glasses on the table between Sesshomaru and Kouga. Kouga suddenly grabbed Kagome's wrist.

"Wait. Is that what I think it is?" He ran his thumb over the fresh mark on Kagome's neck.

He let Kagome go then glanced from her to Sesshomaru.

"You _marked_ her?"

Kagome smiled brightly and Sesshomaru nodded.

"Nobody does mating marks anymore."

"She asked if I would and-"

"You _asked_ for that?!" Kouga gasped, looking at Kagome once more.

"Yes," Kagome answered proudly.

"What the heck were you thinking? Now you'll be attached to this doofus forever."

"I know," Kagome squealed, causing Sesshomaru to laugh.

"God, no wonder you were so loud last night," Kouga mumbled.

"Yeah," Kagome laughed. "Sorry, not sorry."


	26. SPREADING THE NEWS

**DIRT CH. 26: SPREADING THE NEWS**

Having somewhat completely forgotten about her pending knee surgery, Kagome was surprised when her doctor's office called to schedule an appointment with the specialist to set a date for it. She took Sango with her so she wouldn't have to drive alone, and now the two sat in the lobby waiting for Kagome's name to be called. They didn't have to wait long before the nurse appeared holding a large folder as well as a smaller one.

"Kagome?" She asked from the doorway that led to the exam rooms.

Kagome stood and turned towards Sango.

"Do you want to go or hang out here?" She asked.

"I'll hang out here," Sango answered looking up from the magazine she was reading.

Kagome nodded and followed the nurse to the third exam room on the right side of a small hallway. Kagome sat down on the table and waited while the nurse looked over her file.

"You're here to set a surgery date?" She asked as she flipped through papers.

"Yes," Kagome answered crossing her legs at the ankle.

The nurse didn't say anything else as she pulled Kagome's MRI images from the larger folder and set them up on the lighted box on the wall that was used for viewing such things. Once she had the six sheets up, she turned to Kagome.

"Doctor Takeuchi will be in soon." She headed towards the door, leaving Kagome alone in the room.

Kagome's eyes were pulled back to the MRI images on the wall in front of her. Having seen the tear before she knew what she was looking at, but she still couldn't believe that something that was so small had caused her so much pain. Since she'd been on the medication her regular doctor had given her the pain had decreased slightly. The door opened and a tall man in a white lab coat stepped into the room.

"Good morning miss Higurashi," he greeted. "I'm Hiro Takeuchi."

"Hi." Kagome smiled.

"Let's look at this MRI shall we?" He moved over to wall and Kagome stood, moving next to him. He studied the images for a moment before he pointed to one. "This is the cause of all the pain you've been feeling. Judging by the size of it, you've had it for a while, continually aggravating it." Kagome nodded. "According to your file, you ride motorcycles? That's probably helped add to the size of the tear. There is a smaller tear here." He again pointed to one of the images. "We'll repair them both. You can have a seat."

Kagome moved back to the table and sat down.

"So what we're going to do is schedule you for surgery. It's a very basic procedure, we go in arthroscopically, and you can go home the same day. Do you have any preference for when you would like to have the surgery?"

"Um, not really."

"How does next Tuesday sound?" He asked as he wrote down notes in her folder.

"So soon?" Kagome asked.

"Might as well get it out of the way right?" He teased. "That is unless that day doesn't work for you."

"No, no. That's fine. I just thought I would have to wait for a while."

"Like I said, it's a very basic procedure. I'll have Isora set you up a pre-op appointment for Friday." He looked up at her with a smile. "Any questions?"

"What's the recovery time?"

"About three months. You'll likely be on crutches for roughly two weeks. You'll have physical therapy two days a week starting three weeks after the surgery." Kagome nodded. "Anything else?"

"No, I think that's it."

"Alright," he said as he motioned towards the door. "Let's have Isora set that appointment."

Kagome nodded as he led the way through the door. She followed him down the hallway and towards the reception desk.

"Miss Higurashi here needs an appointment for pre-op blood work on Friday," Doctor

Takeuchi said to the receptionist. "And we need to book the operating room for Tuesday morning."

Isora said nothing, just nodded as she reached for the necessary paper work. Doctor Takeuchi touched Kagome's shoulder.

"Isora will get you all set up and I'll see you next Tuesday."

"Thank you," Kagome said with a smile.

He nodded and disappeared down the hallway no doubt heading for his next appointment.

"Okey-dokey," Isora said cheerfully as she handed Kagome a piece of paper. "You'll need to take this with you when you go to the hospital on Friday. It's the request for the blood work. They will call you on Thursday to confirm an appointment time. Is there a time that works better for you?"

"Any time is fine."

"That's what I like to hear." Isora laughed. "We'll call you Monday to confirm your surgery time; it will most likely be eight am."

Kagome took all of the papers she was handed and thanked Isora before she headed out to the lobby where Sango was waiting for her.

"That was quick," Sango commented as she tossed the magazine she held onto the coffee table.

"I'm having the surgery next Tuesday," Kagome announced with a little apprehension.

"That's really quick," Sango said surprised.

"I know." Kagome nodded.

 **XX*XX*XX*XX**

"Did you sign up for the Bright Lights Challenge in Las Vegas?" Bankotsu asked Sesshomaru as they watched Jakotsu make a run into the foam pit.

"Not yet," Sesshomaru answered. "I want to make sure Kagome's surgery won't fall during the same time."

Bankotsu nodded.

"Why didn't you go with her this morning?" Inuyasha asked.

"She said it wasn't going to be anything more than setting up a date for the surgery."

"So if it doesn't fall right in the middle of Vegas, you're going?" Hiten asked, leaning over the handlebars of his bike.

"That's my plan."

The group turned towards the driveway when the diesel engine of Sesshomaru's truck could be heard.

"Looks like the girls are back," Miroku commented from the lawn chair he sat in.

Kagome parked in front of the garage and she and Sango made their way over to the guys.

"It doesn't look like you're practicing very hard," Kagome observed, noticing that Jakotsu was the only one who seemed to be doing any riding.

"We're practicing," Hiten informed her.

"Practicing what? Standing around?" Kagome teased.

"We've been out here all morning," Bankotsu said. "We're taking a break."

Kagome nodded before moving into Sesshomaru's arms.

"How did it go?" He asked.

"Fine. Tuesday's the big day," she announced.

"Wow. He's not wasting any time is he?" Inuyasha said.

"I guess that means we have to worry about you being entered in Vegas," Bankotsu said to Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru nodded. "It's in three weeks, do you think you'll be healed enough to go?" He asked Kagome.

"I should just be getting off of crutches by then."

"What is on your neck?" Hiten suddenly asked, leaning closer towards Kagome.

Her hand instinctively moved to her neck, brushing over her mating mark.

"The bastard _marked_ her last night," Koga jumped into the conversation as he and Jakotsu walked up to the group, with Jakotsu pushing his bike.

"Marked? No way! Like a mating mark?" Inuyasha asked.

"What other kind of mark is there?" Koga asked, slapping the back of Inuyasha's head.

"That's so...wow," Bankotsu said.

"I never thought you were one for tradition Sesshomaru?" Miroku teased.

"She asked-" Sesshomaru began.

"You asked to be bitten? That's so _kinky_ Kags," Jakotsu teased.

"I'm guessing you haven't told mom and dad yet," Inuyasha said with a grin.

"No," Sesshomaru admitted. "I figured it could wait until Kagome got back from the doctor."

"No time like the present," Inuyasha prompted with a shove to Sesshomaru's shoulder.

"Why are you so eager for us to tell them?" Kagome asked.

"Oh. No real reason," he answered with a grin.

"He thinks Inu's going to have an issue with it," Koga divulged.

Kagome turned towards Sesshomaru. "He won't, right?" She asked looking concerned.

"Of course not," Sesshomaru said softly, kissing her forehead.

 **XX*XX*XX*XX**

Inu sat across his dining room table from Sesshomaru and Kagome, with Izayoi sitting on his left. He picked up on Kagome's anxiety as soon as she stepped through the door, he knew something was up. She also had yet to remove her hand from her neck.

"So what's up?" Inu asked casually.

"Nothing really," Kagome answered with a nervous laugh.

"How did the doctor go?" Izayoi asked, worried.

"Fine. I'm scheduled for surgery next Tuesday," Kagome answered.

"Oh my gosh, so soon?"

Kagome nodded. "He said it's a very basic surgery and that I'd be in and out that morning."

"Well, you'll be staying here with us," Izayoi insisted. "I'm not going to have you trying to crutch up and down those stairs over at your place."

"Okay," Kagome answered smiling, grateful that she would have Izayoi around to help her.

"So what has you all upset?" Inu asked suddenly.

"I'm not upset," Kagome answered quickly.

Sesshomaru sighed and gently gripped her wrist, pulling her hand away from her neck. Izayoi gasped and was out of her chair quickly, with Kagome pulled into a hug a second later.

"Oh my gosh!" She cried happily.

Inu and Sesshomaru shared a glance as Inu stood and moved around the table.

"I suppose congratulations are in order," he said warmly.

"So, you're not mad?" Kagome asked.

"Mad? Why would we be mad?" Izayoi asked pulling away from Kagome slightly.

"Inuyasha said-"

"Oh don't listen to him dear. We're thrilled!" She pulled Kagome close, just to gasp and push her away a moment later. "Oh! We have to start planning the wedding."

"Slow down dear." Inu chuckled noticing Kagome's wide eyes. "Let's get Kagome's surgery and the end of Sesshomaru's season out of the way first."

"Yes...let's do that," Kagome agreed, giving Inu a thankful glance.


	27. SURPRISES

**Chapter 27: SURPRISES**

Izayoi insisted that she drive Kagome to the hospital for her pre-op appointment, even though Kagome had told her it wasn't necessary. Izayoi and Sango were both sitting in the hard plastic chairs of the waiting room when a nurse walked through the double doors that led back to the main part of the hospital holding onto Kagome's arm, offering her some support.

"Oh my gosh! Kagome are you alright?" Izayoi gasped, getting to her feet and quickly making her way over to the pair.

"Yeah," Kagome said embarrassed.

"She just got a little lightheaded is all," the nurse explained with a warm smile. "Happens all the time."

"You got lightheaded over some blood?" Sango asked surprised.

"Weird huh?" Kagome agreed. "I don't think it was the sight of it or anything, I just sort of felt faint."

"She's okay now, just don't let her drive or anything like that. She drank some orange juice, but you should get her something to eat."

Izayoi nodded smartly. "Of course! Come on dear," she said as she took over from the nurse. "We'll stop and get you something on the way home."

"You really don't have to go to all the trouble. I can eat when we get back."

"Don't be ridiculous." Izayoi patted her arm. "You need to get your blood sugar back up."

Kagome gave a pleading look to Sango who simply grinned and grabbed her other arm, careful of the cotton ball that was taped on her inner elbow.

"What sounds good?" Sango asked.

Kagome sighed as the two of them dragged her from the waiting room and towards the parking lot.

 ***X*X*X*X*X***

"Are you going to be throwing your double back flip in your run at Vegas?" Hiten questioned Sesshomaru as they stood in line waiting for their turn to make a run into the foam pit.

"Kagome would kill me," he answered with a grin.

"You didn't do something stupid like promise that you wouldn't ever do it again did you?"

"…not exactly." Sesshomaru revved the throttle of his bike.

"Are we going to see something new?" Hiten pressed.

"I've been thinking of a new body variel."

"Like what?"

"It's not like anything else…that I know of."

"Have you tried it yet?"

"Not really."

"Does this trick have a name?"

"No."

"Getting information out of you is like trying to breathe under water," Hiten sighed.

Sesshomaru looked at him as he shifted his bike into first.

"I'll give it a shot now, since Kagome's not back yet."

"Okay." Hiten grinned, leaning over the handlebars.

Sesshomaru let out the clutch of his bike and rolled forward, shifting as he gained speed heading towards the foam pit. He chose the largest steel ramp and rode up it. As soon as his front wheel left the ramp he pulled his feet from the foot pegs and pushed them between his hands, over the handlebars, like a Bar Hop. He pushed the rest of his body through the handlebars like he was doing a Dead Body and then he let go with his right hand as he somehow managed to pull his body around in a back flip, having to let go of the left side of the handlebars for a fraction of a second to reset his hand. He reached out for the right side of the handlebars as he pulled his body back down towards the bike, straddling the seat once more. He landed into the foam pit, sending yellow and blue chunks of foam flying everywhere. Kouga and Inuyasha quickly had him and his bike hooked up to the winch, and hauled out of the pit. He was greeted by the six other guys all excitedly asking questions. Hiten's voice somehow reached his ears above all the others.

"That's the first time you've done…whatever the hell you're going to call it?"

"Yes," Sesshomaru answered untying his helmet and pulling it off.

"You _have_ to do that at Vegas," Hiten said emphatically.

"What the hell are you telling him that for?" Jakotsu shouted. "We already don't stand a snow ball's chance in hell of winning, and here you are telling him to show off some new unnamed trick?"

"That _has_ to be shared with the world!" Hiten insisted. "It just wouldn't be fair."

Sesshomaru smiled.

"It's a little too early to say that it will even be ready for Vegas. That's the first time I've attempted it. I've still got to refine a few things and get it onto dirt."

"So practice!" Inuyasha stated the obvious.

Sesshomaru nodded. "I plan too, but it still needs a name."

"It has to be something that no one will ever forget," Hiten said seriously.

"Something that can never be confused with another trick," Bankotsu added.

"I'll have to think on it," Sesshomaru answered.

"You should let Kagome name it," Jakotsu suggested.

"Right," Kouga scoffed. "She'll call it something bizarre like Awesome Sauce or Electric Doom."

"Actually," Hiten began. "Electric Doom isn't half bad."

"No, it's not," Sesshomaru agreed.

"Really?" Kouga asked surprised.

"Electric Doom it is," Inuyasha said happily. "Now let's see it again."

"Nope. Kagome will be home soon. I'd rather her not see it yet." Sesshomaru glared poignantly at Inuyasha, then Kouga. "Or _know_ about it."

"Sheesh! Why are you looking at me like that?" Inuyasha asked.

"You're begging to be in the dog house again. Or have you already forgotten about the fiasco your double back flip caused?" Kouga asked.

"I haven't forgotten it, and this is a completely different situation," Sesshomaru said.

"Oh really?" Kouga questioned sarcastically.

"I was attempting that onto dirt right from the start. This is into the foam pit. I'll tell her, just after her surgery. I don't want her to be worried about anything."

"That makes sense," Jakotsu said with an approving nod.

"Okay, so no one says _anything_ about Electric Doom to Kagome," Hiten said grinning.

"At least not until after next Tuesday," Bankotsu added.

"That's probably a good idea. She'll be drugged up and confined to a bed then," Kouga said thoughtfully.

"And then she'll be on crutches after that. Just stay out of her swinging range and you should be okay," Jakotsu teased. "I'm sure you can run faster than she can crutch."

"No contest," Sesshomaru said with a laugh.

 ***X*X*X*X*X*X*X***

Monday morning arrived with Kagome's expected phone call from the specialist's office to confirm her appointment for surgery the following morning. She wasn't however expecting them to ask her to come into the office for a last minute consultation. Izayoi again drove her, but Sango remained at home with the others, since the receptionist said that the appointment would only take ten minutes at the most. Izayoi and Kagome arrived at the doctor's office a little early and killed time in the waiting room by going over the following morning's plans.

"They said that I should be at the hospital around seven forty-five."

"Inu, Sesshomaru, and myself will be bringing you. I'm going to put my foot down about the others coming though. It's ridiculous for us to fill up the parking lot and the waiting room."

Kagome smiled knowing that Izayoi would have her hands full trying to convince Kouga, Inuyasha, and the others that they should wait at home.

"Miss Higurashi?" A nurse dressed in lime green scrubs asked from the doorway that led back to the exam rooms.

"Yes?" Kagome said standing up. "Is it okay if she comes with me?" She asked referring to Izayoi.

"Is she family?" The nurse asked with a slight frown.

"Yes," Kagome answered.

"Then I think it will be okay."

Kagome looked back at Izayoi and motioned for her to follow. They followed the nurse back to the second exam room, where she left them alone.

"I wonder what this is all about," Kagome wondered aloud from her seat on the exam table. "Doctor Takeuchi never said anything about another appointment."

"I'm sure it's routine. He probably just wants to tell you all the rules, like don't eat anything after ten this evening and such."

Kagome nodded slowly and they sat in silence, waiting for the doctor. Ten minutes later the door opened and he walked into the room.

"Good morning Kagome," he greeted, glancing over the file he held in his hands.

"Good morning."

"Oh," he said, noticing Izayoi sitting in the only chair in the room. "Bisco shouldn't have let anyone back with you."

"She's my mother-in-law," Kagome said quickly, wondering why it would matter if she was with her or not. It had never mattered before if someone went with her.

"Well, I have some news…" he trailed off.

"There's nothing that she can't hear," Kagome said with a smile.

"Okay then," he brightened slightly. "I hope this will be good news, anyway."

"You, hope?" Kagome asked confused.

"We found out something a little extra with your blood work. Everything's fine," he added quickly, seeing the look of panic on Kagome's face. "It's just that, well, you're pregnant."

"What?" Both Kagome and Izayoi asked. Kagome's voice full of shock and Izayoi's full of pure joy.

"I'm-" Kagome stammered her hands subconsciously moving to rest on her stomach.

"Yep," The doctor smiled. "Not very far along though. My guess would be around a few weeks. You seem surprised," he observed.

"Well, yeah… I mean, I just… Wow," Kagome breathed.

"Will she still be able to go through with the surgery?" Izayoi asked trying to keep herself from hugging Kagome.

"Oh yes," he nodded. "There's no problem with that. It's just our obligation to let her know."

"Of course. Such good news!" Izayoi chirped.

"Well, that's all I needed to discuss with you. The receptionist will give you some forms about what you can and can't do between now and tomorrow morning."

Kagome nodded, still too shocked to carry on a real conversation.

"I'll see you bright and early then. Congratulations."

"Thank you," Kagome said slowly as he disappeared through the door.

"Oh my goodness Kagome!" Izayoi squealed, pulling Kagome into a hug, no longer able to retrain herself. "This is such divine news!"

"Yeah," Kagome answered.

"What's the matter dear?" Izayoi asked pulling away, concern visible on her face.

"Oh nothing!" Kagome answered quickly. "I'm just a little shocked."

"Well of course you are! I can't wait to tell Inu!" Izayoi said happily as they started towards the door.

"Oh, could we not tell anyone yet?" Kagome asked stopping mid-stride.

"What? Why not?" Izayoi asked.

Kagome smiled, the look on Izayoi's face reminded her of Inuyasha when he pouted if he didn't get his way.

"I just don't want Sess worrying about it until after Vegas. It's his last event of the season and I know he'll obsess over this if he knows."

"But-"

"It's only three more weeks," Kagome pleaded.

"But-"

"Please Izayoi. You know I wouldn't ask if I wasn't sure of how he'll react. He needs to have his mind on only one thing while he's riding and that's riding; otherwise he could get hurt."

Izayoi heaved a great sigh. "Alright, but as soon as that competition in Las Vegas is over, I'm spreading the news like wild fire! It's going to be so hard to keep it a secret. I may burst!"

"I know." Kagome laughed. "Me too."

 ***X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X***

 **Electric Doom:** Also sometimes called 'Electric Death'. Invented by Kyle Loza. The rider puts their feet through the handlebars as if doing a 'bar hop' or a 'dead body', then moves into a position as if they're doing a 'kiss of death' [K.O.D]. The rider does a flip whilst holding onto one handlebar, requiring them to 'reset' their hand, completely letting go of the bike, before completing the rotation and returning to the bike.


	28. ANSWERS

**Chapter 28: ANSWERS**

"It's the last day you're gonna be able to do anything without crutches for a while." Kagome frowned at Inuyasha's reminder. "What do you want to do?"

"I'm not sure," she answered as she loaded the dishwasher.

"Come on, we have to do something _exciting_ ," he whined.

"How about we ride?" Koga suggested.

"Yeah!" Inuyasha answered excitedly. "You can work on all the tricks you've been holding back on."

"No," Sesshomaru said flatly.

"Why not? It's not like if she wrecked they couldn't fix her up when she's under the knife tomorrow."

"No." Sesshomaru glared at his younger brother. "We can ride, but there will not be any attempts at cheating death."

"Party pooper," Inuyasha mumbled under his breath.

"I don't really want to ride," Kagome said with a sigh. Three pairs of eyes stared at her curiously from the dining room table. "What?"

"Since when _don't_ you want to ride?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah, half the time we have to rip you off a bike," Koga added.

She shrugged and turned towards the sink, grabbing another plate.

"I don't know. I just don't really feel like riding today."

"It's the last day you can ride for the next three months and you're saying no?" Sesshomaru asked as he pushed his chair away from the table and stood.

He was at her side in three strides, taking the plate from her with one hand and gripping her wrist with the other.

"Are you feeling alright?" He asked, eyes full of concern. "You've been acting strange since you got back from the doctor's office."

"Yeah," Kagome gave a weak smile. "I'm perfect."

A brief staring contest ensued, with Kagome looking away first.

"Are you nervous about the surgery?" Sesshomaru ventured.

Kagome glanced back at him, but didn't meet his eyes.

"A little," she lied.

Honestly, she hadn't even given the surgery a second thought, but since he had brought it up, not to mention it was a good cover for what she was truly nervous about, she was going to go with it.

"You shouldn't be. You have one of the best doctors in the country performing it."

"I know. I just... I don't know."

Before another word could be said, the front door opened and Izayoi practically ran to Kagome's side.

"Kagome sweetheart, you shouldn't be doing _anything_ strenuous," she lightly scolded when she noticed the dishes.

"I hardly think loading the dishwasher counts as _strenuous_." Kagome laughed.

"Still, you should be taking it easy. Let the boys do the dishes."

Kagome laughed at the thought.

"I wouldn't have any dishes left if I did that."

Izayoi smiled and grabbed her hand, pulling her away from Sesshomaru.

"Come on dear; let's go get your room ready for tomorrow."

"Um, okay," Kagome agreed as Izayoi pulled her along behind her.

"What the heck was that all about?" Inuyasha wondered aloud. "Mom was _way_ too happy."

"Something's up for sure," Kouga said as he turned towards Sesshomaru. "Your mom _always_ has that guest room immaculate. What would they have to do to get it ready?"

"I don't know," Sesshomaru answered wondering the same thing.

 *** DIRT ***

Inu leaned against the door frame of the guest bedroom, watching as Izayoi buzzed around the room, talking excitedly with Kagome.

"Alright," he said suddenly, startling her. "Out with it."

"What?" Izayoi asked.

"Something's going on. You've been bouncing around this house like you're on a sugar high since you two got back from the doctor's office this morning."

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about." Izayoi's voice was overly innocent sounding.

"Kagome?" He asked as his eyes focused on her. She squirmed under his gaze.

"Uh, it's nothing. Really."

Inu glanced from Kagome to Izayoi slowly, waiting. Izayoi was the first to break. She leapt forward and grabbed his hands.

"Kagome's pregnant!" She squealed.

"Izayoi!?" Kagome gasped.

"Really?" Inu asked as he stepped into the room.

Kagome nodded. "Just a few weeks."

"And why is this supposed to be a secret?" He asked as he sat next to Kagome on the bed.

"I don't want Sesshomaru to know until after Vegas."

"You're thinking this news would affect his riding?" Kagome nodded and Inu pulled her into an awkward hug. "Trust me when I tell you this; you need to tell him. I'm sure he knows something's going on and he'll be more worked up worrying over what it is then if you told him the news."

"I just want him concentrating on what he should be concentrating on."

"Which should be you and his new pup," Inu said with a smile. "He has to think of that now. He's no longer in this for himself. He has the two of you to worry about." He gently laid his hand on Kagome's toned stomach. "That should be his first priority."

"You're saying he should give up riding?"

"No," Inu answered with a sigh. "I'm saying he needs to prioritize."

Kagome was quiet as she thought over Inu's words. After a minute he squeezed her shoulders and stood, pulling her to her feet too.

"Go tell him," he instructed softly.

"I'll go with you," Izayoi said with a grin.

"No, you're going to stay right here." Inu laughed.

"But-" She pouted.

"I'm sure Kagome doesn't want you bouncing around her house blurting out the news before she has a chance to tell him herself."

Izayoi sighed, looking completely deflated. Kagome smiled and pulled her into a hug.

"I'll make sure we come over after I tell him, okay?"

Izayoi nodded and then started towards the door.

"Make sure it's _right_ after," she instructed as she practically pushed Kagome out the front door. "There's so much I have to do!"

"She's only a few weeks along," Inu pointed out. "You're going to have _months_ to get ready."

Kagome laughed as she slid behind the wheel of the Mule and started it.

 *** DIRT ***

Sesshomaru, having heard the engine of the Mule, was waiting for Kagome on the front porch.

"That didn't take long," he observed as she started up the steps.

"There wasn't really anything to do." Kagome shrugged, stopping in front of him.

"What's going on?" Sesshomaru asked as he pulled her into his arms.

Kagome sighed as she hugged him back.

"It's news you should probably be sitting down for."

"Is something wrong?" He asked as she took his hand and started towards the front door.

"No." She smiled. "I think you'll be okay with it. I hope," she added as an afterthought.

He stopped and pulled her to him. "Just tell me."

Kagome glanced over her shoulder at the couch where Koga, Inuyasha, and Miroku sat watching something on the TV.

"Okay," she said hesitantly. "Well, I went to the doctor this morning, which of course you already knew. Anyway-"

"Kagome, please."

"Sess," she paused unable to stop the smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "I'm pregnant."

He blinked at her as he processed what she had said.

"You're..."

"Only a few weeks," she confirmed.

"You're... Wow," he breathed smiling. She nodded. "Why didn't you tell me when you got home?"

"I wasn't planning on telling you. Until _after_ Vegas," she added quickly when his smile faded. "I just didn't want you to be distracted with the news."

"I would have been far more distracted trying to figure out what was going on with you," he shook his head. "My mom knows?"

Kagome nodded. "She was in the room with me when I got the news."

"That explains why she's acting all uppity," Inuyasha commented from the couch.

"And why you didn't want to ride today," Koga added.

"Wow. Kagome's pregnant," Miroku mumbled.

"Sesshomaru a _dad_ ," the three said in unison.

"You said you _hoped_ I'd be okay with this, how could you think that I wouldn't be?" Sesshomaru asked ignoring their audience.

"I knew you'd be okay with it... I just don't want you thinking about anything but riding until after Vegas."

"You worry too much." He laughed before kissing her softly. "What about your surgery? I mean, is it still-"

"The doctor assures me that everything will be fine."

Sesshomaru nodded. Kagome gently touched his cheek.

"Are you okay?"

"Better than okay. I just...wow," he said grinning.

Kagome laughed. "I know. That was pretty much my reaction too."

 *** DIRT ***

"Kagome?"

The voice seemed far away and distorted, but she still recognized it.

"Ses...shomaru," Kagome croaked as she fought to open her heavy eyelids.

"How do you feel?" He asked softly as he stroked her cheek with the back of his knuckles.

"Out of it," she answered.

"Oh, she's awake." Kagome turned her head so that she could focus on the nurse that stepped next to her hospital bed. "How do you feel hun? A little groggy?"

Kagome nodded sluggishly.

"It should wear off soon. Then you can eat something."

"Food doessn't ssound great at the moment," Kagome slurred.

"We've got to make sure that you can keep something down. You won't have to eat much. What would you like? A muffin? Toast?"

"Muffin'ss good."

The nurse nodded as she wrote something down on a chart at the foot of Kagome's bed. "I'll be back in a few minutes with that then."

Once the nurse was gone Kagome focused on Sesshomaru again. He sat in a chair on the left side of her bed.

"Did it all go okay?" She asked, her speech becoming less slurred.

"Yes. The doctor said it went well." Kagome nodded and took a deep breath as she closed her eyes. "Everyone's been waiting for you to wake up. Are you up to some visitors?"

"Your mom promised me that she was going to make everyone stay home," she said with a frown.

"She had her hands full." Sesshomaru laughed. "But with dad's help, she managed to narrow the group down to just Sango, Koga, and Inuyasha."

"That's not so bad."

"I'll go get them." He stood and kissed her forehead. "Don't go anywhere."

Kagome managed a weak laugh. "Where am I going to go? They haven't even brought me crutches yet."

"I know if you wanted to, you'd find a way." Sesshomaru grinned as he slipped through the door and into the hallway.

Kagome didn't have to wait long before she could hear the voices of her family as they made their way closer to her room. Izayoi was the first through the door and quickly took up residence in the chair Sesshomaru had been sitting in moments before.

"Oh honey. You still look half out of it," she said worriedly as she brushed Kagome's bangs from her face.

"I am."

"Do you need anything?" Sango asked. "Water or something?"

"No thanks." She smiled. "I'm okay."

"Wow Kags, that's some bandage," Inuyasha commented as he reached the bed.

Kagome looked down at her leg for the first time. It was out from under the blankets that covered the rest of her body and wrapped thickly with white gauze.

"Yeah," she answered absently.

"So you'll be back to riding in what, a week?" Inu asked with a smile.

"More like three months," Kagome corrected.

"More like not until after the baby's born," Izayoi said forcefully.

"She can ride," Sesshomaru began. "She's just not allowed to do anything dangerous."

"Riding _is_ dangerous," both Izayoi and Sango said in unison.

"She's not allowed to ride unless she's with me," Sesshomaru continued.

"That's the most dangerous of all," Inuyasha interjected and received a glare from his brother.

"I don't think it's going to be an issue for a while," Kagome said with a slight grin.

"How long before you can hobble around enough to cook again?" Kouga teased.

"Ugh, you and your stomach." Kagome laughed.

The nurse returned carrying a small paper plate with a muffin on it, as well as a miniature carton of some type of juice, and set them both on a rolling tray.

"Excuse me," she said to Sango and Sesshomaru as she pushed the tray over Kagome's lap. "Here you go Kagome. I'll give you a few minutes to eat. Make sure you eat all of it." Kagome nodded. "The doctor should be in in the next few minutes."

"Thank you," Kagome said as the nurse left the room.

"That muffin looks kinda scary. Is it supposed to be blueberry?" Kouga bent over the bed to get a closer look at it. "Are you going to eat it?"

"I have to," Kagome replied as she poked the muffin in front of her.

"So when do you get to leave?" Inuyasha asked.

"I'm not sure. I'm guessing after I eat this and I talk with my doctor." She popped a piece of her muffin in her mouth and made a face as she chewed. "Yuck."

"I can run to the cafeteria and see if there's anything better looking," Sango offered.

"I doubt that you'd find anything edible," Inu mumbled. "I'm willing to run to the diner and get you something."

"No." Kagome shook her head. "This is fine."

"Looks like you're feeling pretty good Kagome," Doctor Takeuchi said as he walked into the room.

"I feel pretty out of it still." Kagome set her muffin down.

"That's the morphine. It will wear off throughout the day. The surgery went well. I repaired all of the tears that I could find on both the left and right sides of your knee. Now, I have some things for you." He held out several papers as he stepped next to the bed. "These are some pictures we took during the surgery of the tears we repaired."

"Cool! That's the inside of her knee?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes," Doctor Takeuchi said and handed the pictures to Inuyasha so he could take a closer look. "I want you to stay off of your feet as much as possible for the first few days, and then you can start using your crutches. You should stay on them until your check-up in two weeks. The nurse will give you some more paperwork. Any questions?"

Kagome shook her head and he smiled.

"Then I'll see you in a couple of weeks. Here's a prescription for some pain medications which you can take every four to six hours as needed, though you most likely won't need any until this evening. And I mean it Kagome; stay off of your knee."

"She will," Sesshomaru assured him with a smirk as the doctor handed him the small paper with her prescriptions on it.

"Make sure that she does," he said as he made his way towards the door.

"Thank you doctor," Kagome called as she picked up her muffin again.

"You're welcome. You all have a nice day."

Goodbyes were said and the family found themselves alone in the room again. The pictures were passed around until they finally ended at Izayoi, who stuffed them in her purse along with the prescription Sesshomaru handed her.

"Well since you're awake and it looks like you'll be coming home in a little while, we'll get out of your hair," Inu said softly.

"But-" Izayoi began.

"Sesshomaru's fully capable of getting her home. Besides, don't you need to get the room ready?"

"Yes, but-"

"I also think it would be a good idea if we stopped by the drug store on the way home and filled her prescription so that it's there when she needs it."

Izayoi nodded with a tiny sigh then squeezed Kagome's hand tightly.

"We'll see you at home sweetheart."

Kagome nodded then held still as Inu kissed her forehead.

"See you in a little while kiddo."

"I'll make sure that there's something edible for you when you get home," Sango offered.

"Thanks. I'll see you guys in a little bit." Kagome smiled.

The nurse stepped into the room just after the others left. She frowned when she saw the unopened juice still in front of Kagome.

"You can't go home until you've eaten and drank everything," she said sternly.

"I've been working on it. Honestly." Kagome smiled and Sesshomaru opened the carton of juice for her. "Thanks."

The nurse nodded her approval as Kagome drank down the juice and then turned towards Sesshomaru.

"I have her discharge papers for you to sign." She pulled a folder out from under her arm and set it on the tray that was across Kagome's lap along with a pen from her pocket. "Sign in the yellow box at the bottom."

Sesshomaru did as asked and then took the paperwork that the nurse handed him.

"Those are a general list of things she can and can't do. The bandage needs to stay on for at least three days then you can take it off. Don't get the sutures wet if you can help it. Don't walk around without your crutches for the next few weeks, but you need to say off of your feet as much as possible for the next few days. Keep your knee elevated to help with the swelling. You'll need to call doctor Takeuchi's office to set an appointment for a check-up and to have your sutures removed. Any questions?"

"Nope. I think you covered everything."

"Alright then. How do you feel? Is your stomach upset at all?"

"No."

The nurse nodded her approval. "You finish your muffin and I'll go get a wheelchair."

She disappeared again and Kagome stuffed the rest of the muffin in her mouth, quickly swallowing it down.

"I'm sure that Sango and my mom will have a buffet waiting for you when you get home." Sesshomaru smiled. "Do you really feel okay?"

"Yes," she answered with a grin. "Will you stay with me at your parent's house?"

"If you want me to."

"I do," she answered quickly and then added, "I'm going to be bored out of my mind."

"It's only for a couple of weeks and then you'll be in Vegas."

"On crutches." She frowned.

"Okay Kagome," the nurse said as she returned pushing a wheelchair. "Let's get you dressed. If you could just wait outside," she said to Sesshomaru as she grabbed Kagome's bag from underneath her bed.

"He can stay. It's not like he's going to see anything he hasn't already seen." Kagome smirked.

"Okay then. Can you sit up?"

Kagome sat up then the nurse helped her shift to the edge of the bed. She unsnapped the back of Kagome's hospital gown and handed her the tank top she had shown up to the hospital in. Sesshomaru stepped in to help hold Kagome up while the nurse pulled Kagome's shorts on. She then grabbed the wheelchair and Sesshomaru helped ease Kagome into it.

"If you want to, you can go ahead of us and bring your car around into the loading zone," the nurse offered as she began pushing Kagome towards the door.

"Alright." Sesshomaru reluctantly left Kagome's side and quickly walked down the hall.

The nurse pushed Kagome through the halls of the hospital, then the waiting room, and finally out the automatic doors and into the parking lot. Sesshomaru was waiting next to his truck with the passenger door open.

"Wow, this might be a challenge," she said referring to how high the truck was lifted.

"It won't be a problem," Sesshomaru said smoothly as he stepped up to the wheelchair.

He scooped Kagome into his arms and easily carried her towards the truck before carefully setting her onto the seat. He buckled her seatbelt then closed the door before turning back towards the nurse.

"Thank you."

"Sure." She smiled before turning and heading back into the hospital.

Sesshomaru walked around the truck and climbed behind the wheel.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he turned the key in the ignition.

"Yeah," Kagome answered leaning her head back against the headrest. "I'm looking forward to getting home and getting in bed."

"Tired?" Sesshomaru asked concerned.

"Yeah, I'm sure it's some lingering effect of the morphine."

Sesshomaru nodded his agreement as he pulled from the parking lot.


	29. TECHNICAL

**Chapter 29: TECHNICAL**

Sesshomaru had found it incredibly difficult to get out of bed that morning, thus making him late for the scheduled practice. He wanted nothing more than to stay with Kagome all day and help her with whatever she needed. But his father had practically drug him from the room and kicked him out of the house telling him to go ride, that he needed the practice before Vegas in a couple of weeks. Sesshomaru knew he was right, but it still hurt to leave Kagome. The guys were waiting for him and Koga had brought his bike and helmet from the garage for him.

"Is Kagome okay?" Jakotsu asked assuming that was the reason for his lateness.

"Yeah," Sesshomaru answered. "She's pretty out of it."

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Bankotsu asked, folding his hands behind his head.

"I have some stuff I want to try into the foam pit, but if you guys want to go practice backflips on the track you can."

"You don't want us catching a peek at the new tricks huh?" Hiten asked with a smirk.

"No..."

"I'd like to work on some variations if that's cool," Jakotsu said grinning.

"You can do whatever you want."

"You'll help me out though right?" He asked.

"Of course, it's what you're paying me for right?" Sesshomaru smiled.

"True." Jakotsu nodded.

"Well, I'm gonna go play on the track," Hiten announced and Bankotsu nodded.

"Me too."

Sesshomaru nodded and turned to his brother. "Inuyasha, you go with them in case they need something and Koga you stay here to work the winch."

"Yes!" Inuyasha said happily. "I'm literally off the hook."

"Shut up." Koga shoved him roughly.

Inuyasha laughed as he regained his balance. "Whatever, I'm still off the hook. I'm taking one of the quads out there," he announced and started towards the garage.

"Jak, you make sure you're paying attention to everything Sesshomaru does today," Bankotsu instructed as he pulled his helmet on. "I expect a detailed report."

"Yeah," Hiten agreed before kick-starting his bike. "Too bad you didn't bring a camera with you."

"I'm not telling you diddly." Jakotsu grinned. "I'm keeping all the secrets to myself."

Bankotsu started his bike as well and the two headed towards the track, Inuyasha following a few minutes later on a quad. Sesshomaru turned towards Koga and Jakotsu.

"Let's get started." He smiled before pulling on his helmet and kick-starting his bike.

His first trip into the foam pit was complete with the creation of another original trick. In one fluid movement he kicked both legs to the left side of his bike and brought them around to the front, letting go of the left grip to do so, like a reverse saran wrap but with both legs. Within the same movement he brought his legs around the right side of the bike, doing a saran wrap, and moved back over the bike, completing the revolution. Koga had him quickly out of the pit and back on the asphalt.

"That was new," he commented. "What are we calling it?"

"I don't know. I was just warming up. Do you think it could be a real trick?"

"Yes," Koga stated as if Sesshomaru was an idiot for asking. "Start thinking of a name for it."

Sesshomaru nodded as he kick-started his bike and rode back over to the front of the foam pit.

"I don't recall seeing that before," Jakotsu said with a smile as he revved his bike. "Does it have a name?"

"Not yet. It was a spur of the moment decision."

"Hmm." Jakotsu tilted his head as if in thought. "You should call it a Windmill."

Sesshomaru laughed. "It does fit. Good idea."

Jakotsu tapped the side of his helmet, above his goggles. "I've got a million of them. All you need to do is ask."

"Right." Sesshomaru grinned.

Jakotsu started towards the tall steel ramp and once in the air, pulled his body from the bike and to the right, using the right grip and left rear handhold to hang onto the bike for a moment before letting go completely. After a few seconds he gripped the bike the same way he had before letting go, and pulled himself back onto the bike so he was again astride the seat. He landed cleanly, as cleanly as you can into foam, and Koga worked his magic with the winch, pulling him from the pit.

"Nice Ninja Nac." Koga grinned as he shut the winch off.

"Why thank you." Jakotsu attempted a half-bow. "It was if I don't say so myself."

Sesshomaru was already headed towards the ramp before Jakotsu re-started his bike, so he decided he'd stay put and take advantage of the better view. Sesshomaru did a simple cliffhanger, but instead of hooking both boots under the handle bars, he only hooked his right.

"That one's simple enough to name," Jakotsu thought aloud.

"Yeah?" Koga prompted when he didn't say anymore, at the same time swinging the crane out over the pit to retrieve Sesshomaru.

"Oh. Solo Cliffhanger," he announced proudly before letting out the clutch on his bike and starting towards the other end of the asphalt.

"That one's already been named," Koga informed Sesshomaru once he was on the ground and disconnected from the cable.

"Oh yeah?" He asked.

"Jakotsu took the liberty. He called it a Solo Cliffhanger."

"Again with the simplistic brilliance," Sesshomaru mumbled. "He named the other one Windmill."

Koga laughed. "Sounds about right. Fits though."

"He's two for two." Sesshomaru nodded as Jakotsu did a backflip into the foam. "It will be interesting to see what he can come up with for this next one."

Koga barely had Jakotsu out of the way before Sesshomaru took off towards the ramps again. He chose the big steel one, going for more height. Once in the air he brought his left leg over to the right side of the bike. Using that same momentum, he brought his body around the right handle bar, switching his right hand to the left grip and his left hand to the right grip. He held his body straight over the front of the bike, sort of like a reverse Superman. Then he pulled his body around the left side of the handle bars, switching his hands back to the correct grips and sitting astride the bike once more.

"That was...bizarre," Jakotsu commented.

"I...don't know what the hell that was," Koga said quietly and then turned to Jakotsu. "What did you call it?"

Jakotsu looked at him curiously. "Bizarre."

"I think you just named your third trick for the morning."

Jakotsu smiled. "I wasn't even trying to. _That's_ how awesome I am."

"Yeah." Kouga snorted.

"Koga!" Sesshomaru shouted from amidst the sea of foam. "I'd like to get out of here sometime today if you don't mind."

"Sorry! Sorry," he called down and fired up the winch.

 **X*X*X*X*X*X**

A week had flown by before anyone had even realized it. Kagome was walking around on her crutches better and Inu had taken her out in the Mule to watch the boys practice tricks on the course. Everyone was gearing up to leave for Vegas in a week; putting the final touches on their trick lists and perfecting what tricks they needed to work on. It was the first time Kagome was able to witness Sesshomaru's four new inventions. She had heard rumors from both Sango and Miroku about them. Even Inuyasha had dropped a few hints that Sesshomaru had been working on something new. She was amazed when she saw them; especially the Bizarre and Electric Doom. Already she was having ideas on what she wanted to put into his trick lists.

"So?" Inu asked from behind the steering wheel of the Mule. "Think he has a shot at winning Vegas?"

Kagome turned to him with a wide smile.

"I think the others shouldn't even bother to show up," she teased.

"Now, now," Inu laughed. "You're forgetting that three members of the competition are here watching him; learning from him."

"Not one of them could do what he's doing," Kagome said confidently.

"You're prejudice."

Kagome laughed. "Just a little bit."

"How are you feeling? Do you want to go back yet?"

"Heck no." She shook her head. "It feels so nice to be out of that bedroom for a change. It's worth the small amount of discomfort."

"Small?" He prompted.

"The wonders of pain medication."

Inu scoffed. "You had surgery seven days ago Kags, I'm sure that you're in more than a small amount of pain. Plus you're supposed to keep it elevated."

"Half an hour isn't going to kill me," she insisted. "Speaking of it having been seven days..."

Inu turned towards her, placing his arm across the seat behind her. "Yes?"

"Do you think that you could talk to Izayoi about me moving back into my own house?"

Inu laughed. "She does tend to take the mothering thing a little seriously."

"No. It's not that. She's been great. You both have. I just..." She paused trying to find the right words. "I miss my own bed you know?"

"What about the stairs? You can't possibly crutch up and down that flight several times a day."

"Sess can carry me up them." She smiled. "Or Koga." She added.

"Yes, brilliant idea. You should make sure Sesshomaru's in the house when you do that."

"Yeah, maybe Koga's not such a hot idea. But you know Sesshomaru will make sure I'm taken care of."

"Of course he will." Inu nodded. "I'll drop you off there on our way back."

"Thanks," she said warmly before her attention was pulled away by Sesshomaru riding up. "Hey!" She chirped.

"Well?" Sesshomaru asked as he let his bike die and pulled off his helmet. "What did you think of the new tricks?"

"They're awesome; really. Are you going to want to use them in Vegas?"

"I think so. I have them down pretty solid, so I don't see a reason not to use them. How are you feeling?" He asked sensing discomfort from her.

"I'm okay." She smiled weakly.

"Maybe you should take her back inside." Sesshomaru glanced at Inu.

"I suggested the same thing not five minutes ago," he mumbled.

"I'm okay, really." Kagome looked at both of them.

"Kagome, you need to rest. It will help you heal faster," Sesshomaru lectured.

"I know. Inu's gonna take me to the house," she said hoping that it would placate him. "So make sure you come there right after you're done with practice."

"Alright." He nodded.

"I'll probably need help getting up the stairs."

"Wait. Stairs? Are you moving back into our house?"

"That was my plan." She grinned.

"Mom's going to have a few choice things to say about that I'm sure."

"I'll deal with that part of it," Inu broke in. "Kagome will be fine. She'll have Sango and Miroku around when you're not. Not that he can do much of anything with his walking cast."

"I'll meet you at the house okay?" Sesshomaru said pulling his helmet back on. "I want to make sure that you're settled and have anything you need."

"Because I wouldn't do that?" Inu teased and received a glare from his son. "There's no need to look at me like that. I understand completely. I too was once a young, newly mated demon with a pup on the way."

Kagome laughed and Sesshomaru shook his head as he kick-started his bike.

"I'll see you at the house," he said to Kagome and then to Inu, "Drive slowly. Take your time."

"Of course." Inu nodded.

Sesshomaru hesitated for a second longer before riding off in the direction of the garage. Inu sighed as he turned the key in the ignition of the Mule.

"If you think he was protective and territorial of you before, you haven't seen anything yet."

"I'm beginning to figure that out," Kagome agreed.


	30. PREPERATIONS

**Chapter 30: PREPERATION**

The final week leading up to The Bright Lights Challenge in Las Vegas was a hectic one. The guys spent almost every hour they were awake out at the practice course working on their trick lists. Sesshomaru more than anyone, much to Kagome's shock. She assumed that as soon as she moved back into the house he would practically be surgically attached to her, and he had been for the first day or two until he was satisfied that Kagome was okay in the capable hands of Sango. He now left the house roughly at dawn and spent most of his day riding and getting things together for Vegas. He'd return near dark every night and would carry Kagome up the stairs to their bedroom after he fixed himself something to eat.

Today, the day before they were supposed to leave for Vegas, was no exception. Sesshomaru had woke before the sun had risen and after a quick shower, helped Kagome down to the kitchen where he made them a simple breakfast.

"I could get used to this," Kagome smiled as she watched Sesshomaru work on frying bacon.

"Yeah?" He asked, glancing over his shoulder momentarily.

"Mmm hmm, I'm impressed with how well you know your way around the kitchen."

"I did cook for myself occasionally before you moved in," he scoffed.

"Oh really?" Kagome asked skeptically. "Then why did you stop?"

"You seemed to enjoy it," he shrugged. "I wouldn't want to take that away from you."

Kagome laughed as she shook her head. "Well aren't you a gentleman."

"I like to think so." Sesshomaru readied her plate and brought it to her.

"Thanks." She grinned up at him as she picked up her fork. "So what are your plans for the day?" She asked as he headed back to the counter for his own plate.

"I'm going to run through my lists a few more times and then wash the bikes and finish packing." He returned to the table. "How about you? Do you have anything exciting planed?"

"Yeah," she said sarcastically. "I do. Sango's going to help me pack, then we're going to make lunch and watch some movies; so pretty much what I do every day."

"The packing is something new to look forward to. And I'm sure you're not watching the same movies over and over."

"No," she laughed. "Jakotsu said he might join us. Inuyasha's supposed to bring over something new for us to watch. I'm a little worried about what he'll choose."

"I'm sure it will be filled with action, blood, and excessive sex scenes." Sesshomaru grinned.

"No doubt," Kagome agreed.

XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX

Kagome sat on the couch with her legs across Jakotsu's lap and her feet in Miroku's lap. Sango stepped into the room with her arms full of glasses. She handed one to everyone on the couch, then Inuyasha who sat in the recliner. Sango set her glass down on the table next to the couch and turned to Kagome, slapping her hands together.

"So what are we watching?" She asked looking at everyone in turn.

"Something we haven't watched yet," Kagome suggested. "What did you bring Yasha?"

"Uh," he began as he stood and walked over to the chest that sat below the flat-screen TV that was hung on the wall. "The new _Terminator_ movie, _XXX_ , and _The Island_."

"Izayoi said she was going to send _Chicago_ over with you."

"Huh," Inuyasha feigned ignorance. "She didn't give it to me."

"More like you dropped it on your way over here," Miroku corrected.

"No musicals" Jakotsu interjected.

"What?" Kagome laughed. "What kind of homosexual are you?" She teased.

After staring at her for a few seconds Jakotsu answered, "The kind that sleeps with men?"

The group laughed, except for Inuyasha who frowned. "So what do you want to watch then?" He asked abruptly.

"I don't know. _The Island_ I guess," Kagome answered and Inuyasha popped the disk into the DVD player.

Just after the halfway point of the movie, Bankotsu walked through the doorway followed by Koga.

"Hey. Looking good Kags," Bankotsu greeted. "Make sure you make Jak slave away for you since he somehow managed to get out of washing his bike to come to movie time with you."

"And why aren't you out there packing?" Koga asked Inuyasha before he started towards the kitchen.

"I was told to bring Kagome movies."

Koga shook his head, but didn't take the subject further.

"So what are you two up to?" Kagome asked, straining to look over the back of the couch.

"Just dropping by for something to drink," Koga answered.

"There's nothing left in the garage. So we decided to raid your fridge," Bankotsu elaborated.

"How nice." Kagome smiled. "Wanna watch _The Island_ with us?"

"Maybe," Koga said moving back into the living room. "It's half over."

"Yeah," Kagome answered turning back to the movie.

"Maybe I can catch the next flick. What will it be?" He asked as he leaned over the back of the couch.

"I wish _someone_ hadn't dropped _Chicago_ on his way over here so I could watch that next," Kagome sighed deeply, and then smirked.

"Too bad Inuyasha has to be such a poor brother-in-law," Jakotsu teased. "I thought he cared about you."

"Shut the hell up," Inuyasha barked. "I didn't _drop_ it anywhere. And I'm a great brother-in-law."

"Really?" Jakotsu pressed. "Just what exactly makes you a _great_ brother-in-law?"

"You know what? Fuck off."

"Don't tease me Yasha," Jakotsu giggled, knowing he was pushing Inuyasha's buttons.

"Seriously, shut up or I'll make you," Inuyasha warned.

"Oh? I bet you like it rough don't you?"

"I... Shut _the fuck up_!"

"Hey, if you two are done verbally copulating, we have a ton of stuff to load and could use some help," Bankotsu said as he made his way to the doorway once more.

"We...we weren't-" Inuyasha stuttered.

"Oh don't deny it Yasha," Jakotsu said softly as he carefully moved Kagome's legs so he could stand. "We shared a _beautiful_ moment together."

"You're seriously effed up, you know that right?" Inuyasha growled as he started towards the door.

"You two play nice!" Kagome called after them as they left the house.

Once the door closed she, Sango, and Miroku burst into laughter.

"Did you see Inuyasha's face when Bankotsu said _copulating_?" Miroku wheezed.

XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX

"Last chance to change your mind and fly out with my mom," Sesshomaru said as he opened the passenger-side door of his truck for Kagome.

"Even though the plane trip would be shorter, it would still be worse than sitting in the truck." Kagome handed him her crutches. "The seats are too cramped on a plane. At least this way I can put the seat back and sort of prop my leg up on blankets."

"You could ride in the toy-hauler," he suggested.

"No, I want to ride with you."

Sesshomaru nodded and watched worriedly as Kagome expertly hopped into the cab of the truck.

"I could have lifted you in you know," he said softly.

She turned to him with a bright smile. "I know."

He returned her smile before tossing her crutches into the backseat. He turned to Inuyasha, who was holding several folded blankets.

"Thanks," Sesshomaru said as he took them from him.

"Yeah," he answered and then lowered his voice. "Are you sure she's going to be alright for the drive? I mean, it's like a ten hour ride."

"She says she is. If it comes to it, I'll call dad and have him pull over so we can set her up in the toy-hauler."

Inuyasha reluctantly nodded and stepped closer to the truck. Sesshomaru carefully placed the blankets under Kagome's injured leg, propping it up slightly.

"Are you sure you've got everything?" Inuyasha asked. "Water? Snacks? Pain meds?"

"Yep, we're all set." Kagome grinned. "See you in Vegas Yasha."

"Yeah," he agreed then headed towards Inu's truck, which had the toy-hauler attached to it.

"Are you comfortable?" Sesshomaru asked Kagome as he handed her the seatbelt.

"As comfortable as I can get," she answered, taking the belt from him and fastening it.

"I've just got to double check on something and then we're out of here."

"Okay."

Sesshomaru closed Kagome's door then stepped around the hood of the truck and walked over to the toy-hauler. They had decided that it was more practical to take it to haul the bikes instead of the bike trailer; this way they only had to take two trucks instead of three to get everyone to Vegas. The bed of Sesshomaru's truck was filled with Hiten's, Bankotsu's, Jakotsu's, and his own gear bags, as well as the extra fuel for the bikes. Once he reached the toy-hauler, he found Inu.

"All set?" Sesshomaru asked glancing at Hiten as he climbed into the toy-hauler.

"I suppose. I'm fairly certain that we haven't forgotten anything. I went over the list three times," Inu said with a sigh. "How's Kagome?"

"Alright. She's in the truck already," Sesshomaru frowned. "I wish I could have convinced her to ride in the toy-hauler."

"She doesn't want to be separated from you for that long," Inu said with a smirk. "One of the many advantages of a mating mark."

Sesshomaru laughed. "I have to admit that it would have bothered me too."

"If she needs anything call me."

"I will," Sesshomaru promised. "So we'll stop for lunch around one then?"

"I think so."

Sesshomaru nodded. "Alright then, I guess let's get this show on the road."

Inu clasped his oldest son's shoulder. "Drive safely."

"You too," Sesshomaru grinned.


	31. BITTERSWEET MEMORIES

Chapter 31: **BITTERSWEET MEMORIES**

"Wow," Kagome breathed. "I forgot how bright it is."

"That it is," Sesshomaru agreed as he pulled the truck to a stop at a red light on The Strip.

Kagome alternated between looking out her window and the windshield. "It's changed so much since last year hasn't it? Is that a new casino?"

"I'm sure there are several new ones. That's one thing about this place, it never stops changing."

"Yeah," Kagome answered then added softly, "It makes me think of mom and dad."

Sesshomaru reached across the seat and gripped her hand tightly in his own. "I know."

Kagome smiled and squeezed his hand to let him know that she was alright. It was never easy returning to the bright lights of Las Vegas, it always brought back memories she would rather forget. Unfortunately they were tied to ones she never wanted to forget.

 ***x*X*x*X*x*X*x***

Kagome sighed as the nurse returned to her room. The overly-cheerful woman made her way across the room quickly, Kagome half expected her to start skipping at any second.

"How are we doing Kagome?" she asked in her chipper tone. "Is your pain level any better?"

"Yes, thank you," Kagome answered. She may have been miserable, but that was not an excuse to not use the manners her mother had taught her. The thought of her mom had her eyes tearing up again and she turned her head so the nurse hopefully wouldn't see.

A comforting hand gripped her shoulder, letting her know that she hadn't fooled the nurse.

"I know its hard sweetie, but you have to believe that it will get better."

A sob caught in Kagome's throat, not allowing her to respond. The nurse patted her shoulder then moved to the end of the bed and grabbed the chart that was hanging from the end of it.

"I have both good news and bad news for you," she began as she started scribbling down notes on the chart. "The bad news is that we're running out of rooms, so you're going to have a roommate fresh from the E.R. sometime in the next hour. The good news is he's really cute."

Kagome forced herself to smile back at the nurse, "What happened to him?" she heard herself ask.

"He rides motorcycles for a living and apparently he was trying some death-defying trick when he crashed. Anyway, both of his legs are broken, but he should be out of here quickly. He's a youkai and they heal faster than us you know." Kagome nodded. "Can I bring you anything? Water? Something from the vending machine?" She asked with a wink, having found out earlier that morning that Kagome loved M&Ms.

"I'm okay for now thanks."

"If you need anything, press the button," she instructed before patting Kagome's leg and leaving the room.

The next hour passed slowly, but Kagome found herself being kind of excited about meeting whoever this 'death-defying motorcycle guy' was. She knew that there was a freestyle motocross event in town that weekend; she had tried like crazy to win tickets off of a local radio station. Who else could this guy be but one of the riders in the competition? She found that trying to guess who he was kept her from feeling the crushing loss that had had her in tears the last two days. Or at least it dulled it slightly. Nothing was going to heal the hole that had been gouged in her heart the previous day after the accident. She shook her head and bit her lip. She _was not_ going to be a weepy mess when they wheeled the dirt bike guy in there. It was only a few short moments later when two nurses pushed a hospital bed with a young guy on it through the doorway.

"Here we are," one said out of habit.

They pushed the bed into position and went about the process of hanging IV bags and settling the new guy in. In no time Kagome found herself alone in the room with someone she knew very well. Well, she knew _of him_ at least. It wouldn't have been right to call herself a fan of freestyle motocross and not know who was occupying the bed a couple of feet away from her. Her eyes stayed locked on him as he watched the nurses walk from the room. He turned his head towards her and she hastily looked away.

"Hi," he greeted.

"Hi," she replied looking at him once again and hoped that he hadn't caught her before. "I'm Kagome."

"Sesshomaru."

"I know," she said automatically then rolled her eyes at how lame she sounded. "I mean, I know who you are."

He smirked, "So you're a fan of freestyle then?"

She nodded, "I was really bummed when I couldn't get tickets for this weekend."

"You missed my really spectacular wreck," he joked.

"Looks like it," Kagome grinned.

"If you don't mind my asking, what happened to you? You look pretty banged up."

Kagome hesitated. "A car accident," she whispered and turned from him as she blinked back tears.

"Oh," Sesshomaru responded. He could feel how upset she was.

"My parents and I were headed to a restaurant for lunch when a car came over the median and hit us head on. Both my mom and dad…" she couldn't finish and fresh tears slipped down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," Sesshomaru said softly.

She turned back towards him with a soft smile as she wiped her cheeks. "Thanks."

Silence fell between them with Sesshomaru unsure if he should say anything. He knew there was nothing he could say that would make her feel better. Both of her parents had just been killed in a car accident and somehow she had survived. He couldn't begin to imagine what she was going through.

"So, what were you attempting when you wrecked?"

Her voice and the change in subject surprised him. "Oh, uh, a back flip."

"Really?" Kagome asked amazed at how he sounded so normal about it, like back flipping a dirt bike was something everyone did on a regular basis.

"Yeah. Obviously I didn't land it though."

"Were you close?"

He shook his head, "I under rotated. The ramp wasn't where it should have been; or where _I_ needed it to be rather."

"So you think it's possible?"

"Of course," he grinned. "I'll just request that there's a ramp set back about ten feet further and it'll be cake."

"That's amazing," Kagome said in awe.

Sesshomaru shrugged, it was perfectly normal to him. There wasn't anything _amazing_ about it.

"Room thirty-seven. Here it is," a voice called from the hallway outside the room.

A tall, dark-haired youkai stepped into the room followed by a hanyou with fuzzy triangle-shaped ears on top of his white-haired head.

"Hey Sess, glad to see that you're out of the E.R.," the hanyou said.

"And in a room with a hot roommate no less," the youkai added as he stepped closer to Kagome's bed. "Hi, I'm Koga."

"Hi," Kagome answered returning his smile and blushing slightly.

"What the heck Sesshomaru? Have you been making her cry?" Koga asked turning away from Kagome to glare at Sesshomaru.

"No," Sesshomaru began. "It's nothing like that. Shut up."

"Are you alright?" Koga asked turning back to Kagome again. "Do you want me to find a nurse or something?"

"No, I'm okay," Kagome answered.

"Koga, leave the poor girl alone," said a deep voice.

Kagome noticed that another youkai had entered the room. He looked a lot like Sesshomaru and the hanyou.

"Sesshomaru, as soon as you get a chance to, you need to call your mother. She won't take my word for it that you're okay. She needs to hear your voice," he instructed.

"Alright," Sesshomaru answered, hoping to get off of the topic of worried parents. He didn't want to make Kagome upset again.

"So who's your roommate?" the hanyou asked.

"Kagome," Sesshomaru began. "This is my father Inu, my brother Inuyasha, and my cousin Koga."

"Hi," was said all around.

"So both legs huh?" Inuyasha asked his brother.

"That's what they told me."

"That's at least a month of taking it easy," Inu said in a very fatherly voice. "And more practice into the foam pit."

"I would have landed it cleanly if the ramp had been set back another ten feet."

Inu shook his head. "We've already got all of your gear and bikes loaded. The doctor says that you should be able to leave sometime tonight."

Sesshomaru nodded.

"So we're heading to get some lunch, do you want us to bring you back something?" Koga asked.

"Sure," Sesshomaru answered and motioned towards Kagome. "And bring something for Kagome. I'm sure she'd like something other than crappy hospital cafeteria food."

"Okay, what would you like?" Inu asked.

"I'm good with pretty much anything," Kagome answered. "A burger maybe?"

"A burger it is," Inu smiled. "We'll probably be about an hour."

"Sounds good," Sesshomaru nodded.

Goodbyes were said and the three left Kagome and Sesshomaru alone once again.

"I'm sorry about that," he apologized.

"Don't be. That's how families are," Kagome smiled.

 ***x*X*x*X*x*X*x***

Four months later Kagome found herself on a plane headed to northern California at Sesshomaru's expense, despite her argument about him paying for it. They had only seen each other a dozen times since the day they had been released from the hospital, but they talked almost every other day on the phone. Kagome found herself on multiple occasions staring at his name on her contact list in her cell phone, still amazed that she knew him. _The_ Sesshomaru Taisho. And now here she was at an airport waiting for him to pick her up so that she could spend a week with him at his house. It was crazy. It wasn't hard to pick him out of the crowd with him being so tall and his unusual hair color. He waved when he spotted her and walked quickly to her side, taking her suitcase from her.

"Hey," he greeted as he pulled her into a one-armed hug. "How was your flight?"

"Short," Kagome answered smiling. "I could have driven."

"I wanted you here faster than that." He grinned. "Come on, I've got the truck parked in a no-parking zone."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Kagome laughed.

The rest of the day consisted of Sesshomaru giving Kagome a tour of his property, his parent's house, and the house that he was currently having built for himself. She was amazed at how comfortable she felt with his family. It was like she belonged there. His mom had hugged her so tightly she swore she thought she felt her ribs crack. Everyone welcomed her like she was already a part of the family. It made coping with the loss of her own easier and when the week was up she found herself not wanting to leave.

"I don't want to go back to Vegas," She told Sesshomaru the morning she was supposed to leave.

"So don't," he answered, kissing her forehead.

"I couldn't _stay_ here," she scoffed.

"Why not?" Sesshomaru asked seriously.

"Well for one, I would lose my job and where would I live?"

"Quit your job and move in here," he answered simply. "The house is almost done. By the end of next week it'll have the carpet and tile in it."

"What would I do for work?"

"You don't have to work. No one here does. Well, I guess I do technically, but I don't think riding my bike around all day counts as work."

Kagome laughed, "You're _not_ serious."

"Yes, _I am_. Move in with me Kagome," Sesshomaru said before kissed her roughly.

They pulled apart after what seemed like hours, their breathing uneven.

"I'd still have to go back to Vegas. Put in my two weeks and let my landlord know that my place will be up for rent."

"Okay," Sesshomaru nodded. "In two weeks I'll come to Vegas with the enclosed trailer to get you and your belongings."

Kagome grinned. "I can't _believe_ that I'm doing this."

"You'll have two weeks to get used to the idea," he mumbled before kissing her again.


	32. VIVA LAS VEGAS

Chapter 32: **VIVA LAS VEGAS!**

Sesshomaru carefully slipped out of the bed and crossed the room as quietly as he could. Kagome was still asleep and he didn't want to wake her. He jumped in the shower and dressed before grabbing his wallet, cell phone, and room key, then headed down to the registration lobby where Inu was waiting for him.

"Where's Kagome?" he asked.

"Still sleeping," Sesshomaru answered as they started making their way through the casino and towards the parking structure.

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah, it's just hard on her when we come back here."

"Of course," Inu nodded.

They walked the rest of the way to the truck in silence. They drove just off the strip to where the Bright Lights Challenge was going to be held the following afternoon. Sesshomaru parked in the 'rider's lot' and then he and Inu headed towards the building that held registration. Once inside, they met up with Bankotsu, Hiten, and Jakotsu who were already waiting in line.

"No Kagome this morning?" Jakotsu asked.

"No, she was still sleeping and I figured I'd try and keep her off of her crutches as much as possible," Sesshomaru answered.

"Good luck with that," Bankotsu laughed. "She'll probably be trying to steal our bikes out from under us by tomorrow."

"It's too bad there isn't a novice division here like there was in L.A.," Hiten said as he grabbed his packet from one of the event officials.

"She just had knee surgery," Inu reminded them. "She wouldn't have been able to compete anyway."

"Not to mention the whole pregnancy thing," Jakotsu added nudging Sesshomaru in the ribs with his elbow.

Sesshomaru shook his head and signed the form the official set in front of him, then grabbed his packet and turned back to Inu.

"All set?" Inu asked gesturing towards the packet Sesshomaru held.

"Yeah."

"How about we go out to breakfast?" Jakotsu suggested with his own packet in hand. "We could meet you back at the hotel. They've got a great buffet I've heard."

"It's a buffet. How _great_ could it be?" Hiten asked.

"I'll have to see if Kagome's up first," Sesshomaru said.

"And we'll go check on Koga and Yasha," Jakotsu nodded grinning.

"Let's meet in the casino, near the elevators in say, an hour."

"Sounds good."

"Alright, see you boys in a little bit," Inu said before heading out of the building with Sesshomaru.

 ***x*X*x*X*x*X*x***

"What would you like?" Sesshomaru asked Kagome after he made sure she was comfortably seated in the booth.

"Oh I don't know; breakfast stuff."

"I hear there's prime rib," Inuyasha grinned.

"That's what I requested Sango bring back for me," Miroku said, sliding into the booth, mindful of his walking cast.

"For breakfast?" Kagome asked with a disapproving look.

Inuyasha shrugged. "Why not? It's Vegas."

"How about eggs, bacon, hash browns, and fruit?" Sesshomaru asked Kagome, ignoring his brother.

"That sounds perfect." She smiled. "And a Dr. Pepper if they have it, please."

"For _breakfast_?" Inuyasha mocked.

"Shut up," Kagome laughed. "I need the caffeine."

"No, you don't," Sesshomaru corrected.

"One soda is not going to hurt me," Kagome lectured. "Or the baby."

Sesshomaru frowned as he left the booth, Inuyasha in tow, heading in the direction of the buffet. Inu, Sango, and Jakotsu returned to the booth while they were gone and Kagome swiped a piece of toast off of Inu's plate.

"Thanks for the toast," she grinned.

"I figured you would want some," Inu smiled back. "That's why I got extra."

Sesshomaru returned with her plate and drink plus his own.

"Wow," Jakotsu said politely covering his mouth with his hand. "You must have been a waiter in a previous life to balance all that."

"Either that or a juggler at a circus," Kagome teased. "Thank you baby," she said sweetly before kissing his cheek.

They ate in relative silence, with someone coming or going pretty much the entire time.

"What time is practice scheduled for today?" Kagome asked as Inuyasha left to get his third plate full of food.

"It starts at one, but it runs until five," Sesshomaru answered.

"So we should probably get over there around twelve-thirty," Inu added.

"Is anyone trying anything new?" she asked.

"Like we'd tell _you_ miss trick list creator," Jakotsu said teasingly.

"I'm not going to steal your tricks," Kagome laughed. "Besides, Sess has at least three new tricks that none of you will be doing."

"Oh yeah, rub it in our faces," Bankotsu grinned then raised his voice several octaves. "Sesshomaru's the greatest rider ever. He'll totally beat you with one hand tied behind his back. He's _so_ sexy. Blah, blah, blah."

"Wow," Kagome giggled. "I never knew you thought he was _sexy_."

"Oh yeah," Bankotsu nodded. "He's totally my type." He winked at Sesshomaru.

"Can we please move away from this disturbing topic?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Ew," Kagome groaned.

"What?" Sesshomaru asked glancing at her.

"There's floaties at the bottom of my cup."

"Floaties?" Sango asked. "Gross."

"Yeah," Kagome agreed.

"If they're at the bottom of your cup, wouldn't they be sinkies?" Jakotsu asked causing the rest of the group to laugh.

"I guess you're right. There's _sinkies_ at the bottom of my cup," Kagome agreed.

"Sinkies and floaties aside," Inu began. "We have at least four hours to kill before we need to be at practice, does anyone have anything in mind?"

"I'm hitting the black jack tables," Koga offered. "I'm planning on winning back some of the money I lost last year."

"Good luck," Sesshomaru grinned. "You'll just end up losing more money."

"Maybe lady luck will be on my side today. I'm heading to New York, New York. I hear the tables over there are decent."

"I'll go with you," Miroku said. "It's been awhile since I've tried black jack."

"You suck," Inuyasha groaned. "I can't do _anything_ fun in this stupid town."

"Aw poor baby's not twenty-one," Jakotsu cooed. "I'll hang out in the kiddy arcade with you. Or we could chill by the pool."

"I'm not doing any _hanging_ with you," Inuyasha sneered.

"Yeah, lord knows what might become of that," Kagome teased.

"And just what are you going to do Crutch?" Inuyasha asked.

"There's not a whole lot for me _to_ do," she answered honestly. "I was thinking about trying my luck at the slots. Maybe go bungee jumping over at The Stratosphere."

"You can't go bungee jumping," Koga laughed.

"Sure I can," Kagome retorted. "The doctor said no walking without crutches; he didn't say anything about jumping off buildings without them."

"Absolutely not," Sesshomaru said gritting his teeth.

"Yeah Kags, I'm with Sesshomaru on this one," Sango said giving her a look like she was crazy.

"Aw come on," Kagome begged. "What else am I going to do?"

"Anything but _that_ I'd wager," Jakotsu said before taking a drink of his orange juice.

"You do know that they attach the cord to your ankles right?" Bankotsu asked.

"That'd be one hell of a jolt on that knee of yours," Koga added.

"I'll tie you to your bed before I watch you do that to yourself," Inu concluded sternly.

"Fine, I won't go bungee jumping," Kagome pouted even though she had never really had any intention of going to being with. "I guess I'll just stay in the room and order lots and lots of room service."

"That sounds nice," Sango laughed. "I think I'll join you for that."

"Hey, the more the merrier."

"You could go to the spa," Jakotsu suggested. "That would be fun and completely relaxing."

"That does sound kinda nice," Kagome said, thinking about it.

"It sounds completely decadent," Sango sighed.

"Let's do it," Jakotsu grinned. "I'll go with you! Then we can do lunch before we head over to practice."

"Oh goodie, it'll be a girl's day," Inuyasha squealed.

"So you're coming too then?" Jakotsu asked, latching onto his arm.

"Hell no!" Inuyasha hissed.

"A seaweed and apricot facial would do wonders for your skin," Jakotsu teased.

"Right," Inuyasha scoffed.

"Hey, don't knock it 'til you've tried it," Bankotsu offered. "Going to a spa is seriously relaxing."

The rest of the group laughed and Kagome nodded, grabbing her crutches. "Let's go make sure that we can even get in there this morning."

"Okay," Jakotsu answered, shoving Inuyasha out of the booth so he could get out.

Sesshomaru stood and helped Kagome to her feet. "Do you want the room key?"

"No, I won't need anything before the practice is over."

"Just charge everything to the room," he said before kissing her forehead.

"Don't worry Sess," Jakotsu chirped. "We'll take good care of her."

"I doubt she can get into too much trouble at a spa," Sango added grabbing her own purse as well as Kagome's.

"You'd be surprised," Sesshomaru said under his breath. "Then I'll see you at practice."

"Don't you _dare_ make any runs until I get there," Kagome warned.

Sesshomaru laughed, "Of course not."

 ***x*X*x*X*x*X*x***

"Oh wow, that feels good," Kagome moaned as the masseuse worked on her shoulders.

"Didn't I tell you this would be heavenly?" Jakotsu asked from his own table a few feet away.

"Why didn't you suggest this earlier?"

"It never occurred to me."

"I could get used to this," Sango sighed. "Maybe we should move in."

"I wouldn't want to see _that_ weekly bill," Jakotsu laughed. "I better place tomorrow so I can make some of this money back."

"You really didn't have to pay," Kagome said turning her head so that she could see Jakotsu.

"I know, but when I realized that you'd _never_ been to a spa before, I just had to make sure you got the works. And of course I _had_ to treat you to it."

"Thanks again Jakotsu," Kagome smiled.

"Yeah, thanks," Sango agreed whole-heartedly.

"You're welcome ladies."

"I wonder what the others are up to," Sango said a few minutes later.

"Probably terrorizing The Strip and all of the tourists," Jakotsu supplied.

"Hopefully they're taking it easy on the gambling. Koga lost almost a grand last year," Kagome said.

"Ohmygod no way," Jakotsu said. "What was that boy thinking?"

"That he could win it all back."

"Where did he even get that kind of money?" Sango asked.

"Inu gave both Inuyasha and Koga five hundred to spend throughout the three days we were here," Kagome began. "He won some and lost some, but ended up down over nine hundred on just the first night."

"Holy crap," Sango said in amazement.

"Double holy crap," Jakotsu added.

"Needless to say, Inu swore he'd never give him another dollar when we were in Vegas."

"Yeah, no kidding," Sango laughed.

 ***x*X*x*X*x*X*x***

"He just won't leave the table. I've been trying for the last half hour," Miroku supplied as an apology. "I didn't know what else to do."

"He sort of has a little gambling problem," Sesshomaru shook his head.

"Little?" Miroku laughed. "He was up by five hundred then lost it all and now he swears he's not leaving the table until he breaks even."

Sesshomaru nodded then stepped up behind Koga and laid his hand on his shoulder. "Koga, we've got to get ready to head over to the practice session."

"Yeah okay, I'll meet you guys there," Koga replied without taking his eyes off of the black jack table.

"No, we need you to come with us. You're our mechanic, remember?"

"You're bikes are fine."

"Koga," Sesshomaru said as he began to lose his temper. "Get your ass off of that chair and let's go."

"I'm almost even though. Just let me have five more minutes."

"No way," Sesshomaru grabbed Koga's chips in one hand and fisted Koga's shirt in the other, yanking him out of the chair he sat in.

"Sess, I was totally on a roll," Koga complained jerking out of Sesshomaru's grasp.

"You can make it up later, after practice."

"Right," he scoffed. "You're dad's going to lock me in my room."

"Probably," Sesshomaru admitted. "You've got to learn how to say _when_."

"It's hard. One second you're doing so well, raking in the money, and the next you have no idea where it all went."

"Here's a good rule, when you're up at least twenty bucks, call it a day," Miroku interjected as he hobbled along a couple of feet behind.

"Jeeze, twenty's nothing," Koga laughed glancing over his shoulder.

"It's better than being _down_ five hundred," Miroku countered.

Koga took a deep breath. "Thanks I guess. That could have ended up like last year."

Sesshomaru laughed. "I think dad would have made you walk home then."

"Probably," Koga agreed.

 ***x*X*x*X*x*X*x***

Kagome sat with Sango and Miroku underneath one of the large canopies where the riders kept their bikes in between runs. Sesshomaru had randomly drawn the second practice time with Jakotsu, and both were out on the course choosing the best lines for their trick lists. Kagome watched intently as Sesshomaru went through a dulled down version of the list she had made for him. He was careful not to try any of his new tricks, just making sure that he was hitting the right ramps for the right amount of time so he could pull them off during his runs later the next day.

"So what's the plan for tonight?" Miroku asked as Sesshomaru and Jakotsu rode off the course, making way for Bankotsu and another rider to take their places.

"I'm not sure," Kagome answered picking at the padding on her crutches. "I had mentioned that I'd like to see LOVE, but I don't think we could get tickets."

"Oooo, I've wanted to see that too," Sango said grinning. "I'm sure if you call down to the front desk of the hotel, they'd get them for us."

"Lord knows our group is making them a fortune," Miroku commented.

"I doubt everyone is going to want to go through, like Koga and Inuyasha for instance," Kagome laughed. "So I guess let's find out how many of us want to go and then we'll see if the hotel's concierge can get us in or not."

Sesshomaru rode under the canopy, followed by Jakotsu, Inu, and Koga, and shut off his bike.

"Well?" Kagome asked as he pulled off his helmet.

"It's a nice course," he said with a nod. "I think I can get some pretty decent scores in flow."

"Good," Kagome grinned. "So we were talking and Sango and I want to try and get tickets to LOVE tonight."

"Okay," Sesshomaru said slowly.

"LOVE!" Jakotsu squealed. "It's supposed to be really awesome. I want to go!"

"There's no way you'll get tickets for tonight," Koga said taking Sesshomaru's bike from him. "Plus isn't it a stupid play or something?"

"It's not stupid," Kagome said firmly.

"It's Circ de Sole to Beatles music," Jakotsu clarified.

"I still stick with my original statement," Koga shrugged.

"Anyway," Kagome continued, glaring at Koga. "If we can get tickets; who wants to go?"

"Not me," Koga shook his head.

"I didn't ask who _didn't_ want to," Kagome sighed.

"Well I'm in for sure, if you can get the tickets," Jakotsu smiled.

"Me too," Sango chirped.

"Of course I'll go," Sesshomaru said, though he didn't sound very excited about the idea of going.

Kagome grinned at him then frowned at Koga when he slapped Sesshomaru on the back and whispered, "Whipped."

"I think I'll stay in tonight," Inu said quickly, hoping to stop any fighting. "But I'll call a friend of mine that's pretty good at filling requests like this and see if I can get your tickets for you."

"Awesome," Kagome cheered. "Then I guess we need to find out if Hiten, Bankotsu, or Inuyasha want to go."

"I can tell you right now their answers will be no just like mine," Koga said. "So you guys can go to your little Beatles play and we'll go do something that's actually fun."

"Like what?" Kagome teased. "Go to a strip club?"

"Actually, that's not a bad idea," Koga grinned. "Thanks Kags."

"Oooo, I'm going with Koga," Miroku said matching Koga's grin.

"Oh no you're not," Sango said firmly, pinching the skin on the back of his hand. "You're _going_ to go see LOVE."

"Oh right. How could I have forgotten?" Miroku asked with a pained smile.

Koga laughed then mouthed, 'whipped'. Earning him another icy glared from both Sango and Kagome.


	33. LOCK AND LOAD

"The most fascinating part of freestyle is the psychology behind what it takes to succeed. It's a sport of complete insanity. There's no coaches, no rule book, and no limits beyond your imagination. A fan sees a personality and watches that personality perform. A fan sees a rider practice and understands pain. But a fan will never have to fly through the air pondering, 'Which bones take the least amount of time to heal?' A fan won't have to choose between a broken back or two broken wrists. I've seen riders sit on their bikes and pray for twenty minutes. I've seen kids with ADHD sit silently for hours, just staring at a ramp. _Fear_ ; a balancing act between normality and idiocy. It paralyzes the majority, but gives clarity to some.

Sitting on the roll-in at X-Games, I wasn't nervous. I had a game plan. All be it not a very good one. I had accepted the probability that I was going to crash. This was my way to overcome fear. My backup plan was a bailout point that was to be a millisecond judgment call at the halfway point. Bailout then, and only blowout my knees. The first rotation was slow, and I knew it. I wasn't sure if I was going to see the ground again before impact, but it was too late for Plan B. When the wheels touched down, the score didn't matter. The money, not worth the risk. That moment was the definition of why people like us do what we do. At the base of uncertainty, it's time to lock and load." – Travis Pastrana (2006 X-Games, the double back flip)

 **X0X0X0X**

Chapter 33: **LOCK AND LOAD**

The morning was hectic with everyone preparing for the first round of competition. Only four of the eight riders would make it into the finals and that meant they would have to pull out all the stops in at least one of their three ninety second runs to get a good score. Kagome stood with Sesshomaru and the rest of their group underneath the shade canopy where they were keeping their bikes, waiting for the event to begin. The guys had already taken their warm up on the course, riding out two at a time, and now they just had to wait for the TV coverage to begin. Reporters from ESPN filled the rider's area, getting interviews where they could. Yuko, who had interviewed Sesshomaru at the Monster Games after he landed the double backflip, showed up, her camera crew right behind her.

"Hi guys, do you mind if we get a few questions in before your runs?" Yuko asked cheerfully.

The collective answer was that they didn't mind and Yuko went about setting up her crew. She focused on Sesshomaru first, situating herself so she could interview him.

"So how's life been since you took home four medals from the Monster Games, one of them a gold for landing the first ever double backflip?"

Sesshomaru smiled. "It's been great actually. I've gotten married, in a sense, and Kagome and I are expecting our first child."

"Wow," Yuko laughed. "You _have_ been busy. Speaking of Kagome, how does it feel to be married to the only woman to have ever landed a backflip in a competition?"

"Amazing," Sesshomaru answered, glancing at Kagome briefly. "Kagome's undeniably one a kind and one of the best riders I know. She can definitely hold her own in the FMX arena."

"Kagome's completely nuts. Guys get out of FMX because they don't have the guts to backflip," Bankotsu jumped into the conversation. "It's all she talked about and she trained hard, harder than most, wrecking a few times in the process. The fact that she got back up after a wreck or ten, and even got back _on_ a bike after that wreck that landed her in the hospital for a few days, is a testament to how gnarly she is."

"But she also has a sweet girly side," Jakotsu added. "She'll get all dolled up and smile at you and you'll think she's really gorgeous."

"Yeah," Hiten laughed. "Then she'll punch you in the face." The group laughed. "Or kick your ass at just about anything. She throws tricks that make me want to hate her; she makes it look so easy."

Yuko turned her attention onto Kagome. "You have half the competitors here today singing your praise."

"I guess they're my fan club," Kagome laughed.

"I see you're sporting the fabulous fashion accessory of crutches, did you have a riding accident?"

"No, well, sort of. I had knee surgery to repair the damage I did to it during my big wreck before the Monster Games."

"Well, we're glad to see you here," Yuko said cheerfully. "I hope you get well soon."

"Thanks." Kagome smiled and Yuko turned back to Sesshomaru.

"Are we going to see any new tricks here today Sesshomaru? I've heard rumors that you have a couple of new things in the works."

"Nasty lies," Sesshomaru said with a laugh. "I may have one or two things that no one's seen before, but I'm not sure yet if I'm going to bring them out before finals."

"You're confident that you'll make it through to the finals then?"

"Of course." Sesshomaru grinned.

"Well good luck!" Yuko said honestly. "I guess I'll see you on the podium later."

"You can bet on it," Sesshomaru said causing a few snickers from the group.

Yuko signaled her camera crew and the interview was over. After saying her thanks and trying to get Sesshomaru to tell her what his new tricks were called one last time; Yuko left them to go to where she would be interviewing the riders after their runs.

"You know," Koga began as he started taking the cover off of Sesshomaru's bike. "I'm pretty sure that Yuko's not stupid enough to bet against Sess making the finals."

"Are you calling me stupid?" Kagome asked in mock anger.

"It _was_ pretty stupid," Inu injected.

"But what he chose for you to do as a result of losing that bet was pretty awesome," Inuyasha said grinning.

"Shut up," Kagome and Sesshomaru said in unison.

"You've drawn the second group and you'll be the third rider," Inu said to Sesshomaru, changing the subject.

"So I have a little time to relax." Sesshomaru nodded. "Kags, we should probably get you off of your feet."

"You mean my one good leg," Kagome corrected.

"Yeah," Sesshomaru smiled and grabbed a chair for her before holding her crutches so she could sit down.

"Thanks."

Sesshomaru nodded. "I expect you to say there the whole time."

"No way!" Kagome laughed. "I can't see the course from here."

"You can watch the TV screens."

"No. I'm not missing your run."

Sesshomaru sighed. "At least don't leave the tent."

"I'm going to the starting area with you," Kagome said adamantly.

"How about a compromise?" Inu ventured. "I'll take Kagome down to the holding area-"

"No way. That's _on_ the course."

"I'll stay with her the entire time, nothing is going to happen to her," Inu continued as if Sesshomaru hadn't interrupted him.

Sesshomaru was silent for a while, thinking it over. He truly didn't want Kagome anywhere _near_ the course. What if someone lost control and hit her? But if he didn't let her get somewhere close to it, she would no doubt give him _serious_ grief and probably figure out a way to get there anyway. He sighed.

"Okay, but you're staying with her the whole time."

Inu agreed with a nod. "She won't leave my side."

Sesshomaru turned his gaze on Kagome. "Promise me you won't wander off."

"You're treating me like I'm five," Kagome said, annoyed.

"I'm only concerned about your safety."

"Yeah, okay. I won't leave Inu's side. It'll be like we're glued at the hip. Or crutch to hip actually."

Sesshomaru smiled and bent down to kiss her forehead. "Thank you."

Koga sat astride Sesshomaru's bike, revving it every few seconds to keep it going while Sesshomaru went through his usual pre-ride routine. Sesshomaru stood nearby, at the front of the area where the riders were to wait for their turn at the course, with Kagome held tightly in his arms. Inu stood just behind them, holding Kagome's crutches in one hand and Sesshomaru's helmet in the other.

"You're not going to try any new tricks until your third run right?" Kagome asked, sliding Sesshomaru's goggles around to the back of his neck.

"That's my plan, all though, I probably don't really need to. I could save the new stuff until the finals," Sesshomaru answered.

Kagome smiled up at him. "You'll be deciding on the fly?"

"I'll decide once I see what Bankotsu's scores are. I think he's going to be doing some of the variations he's been practicing."

"So you think he'll be your biggest competition then?"

Sesshomaru shrugged. "Probably."

"Good thing he's the first to go in this round."

" _Very_ good," Sesshomaru agreed. "I might have to bring at least one new trick out. I'd prefer to go into the finals with the lead."

"Just be safe please."

Sesshomaru smiled. "I'm always safe."

Behind them, Inu scoffed, causing the couple to laugh.

"Lay down a score no one can touch and come back in one piece." Kagome patted his chest.

"I'll do my best," Sesshomaru promised before capturing Kagome's lips in a kiss.

Regretfully, Sesshomaru let Kagome go, leaving her with Inu in exchange for his helmet, and made his way to the back of the holding area where Koga sat with his bike. He made a slashing motion across his throat and Koga shut off the bike.

"What's up?" Koga asked.

"Might as well let her sit for a minute."

"I wasn't planning on keeping it running during the entire round." Koga rolled his eyes.

"Did you check the air pressure in the tires?" Sesshomaru asked, sliding his helmet onto the left side of the handle bars.

"Yes," Koga sighed.

"Good." Sesshomaru smirked, enjoying the fact that he was annoying his cousin.

"Quit your smirkin'," Koga growled. "Or you can find yourself a new mechanic."

"I only asked a simple question," Sesshomaru laughed.

"Yeah, and you were an ass about it."

"Okay." Sesshomaru held up his hands in a submissive gesture. "Just make sure the bike's running as soon as Kaname goes."

"Right."

"Hey Sesshomaru!"

Sesshomaru turned to see who had called his name, and noticed Hiten was making his way towards him.

"Good job with the nac-nac backflip," Sesshomaru greeted him.

"Thanks," Hiten grinned cockily. "Are you going to pull out the big guns this round?"

"I don't know yet. It depends on what Ban does."

"Do me a favor and don't. I'd like to brag that I went into the finals in first place."

Sesshomaru laughed and gripped Hiten's shoulder. "There's no way that's going to happen."

"Yeah…" Hiten agreed with a frown. "I thought you might say that."

"Taisho," the event coordinator called, waving at Sesshomaru to get his attention. "You've got about two minutes."

Sesshomaru nodded and reached for his helmet, turning towards Hiten once more. "Did you ask Bankotsu the same thing?"

"Yeah, his answer was basically the same."

"Guess you're S.O.L," Koga laughed, kick-starting Sesshomaru's bike.

Hiten made a face at Koga, which only made him laugh harder. Sesshomaru took his bike from Koga and threw his leg over the seat. Koga stood on the right side of the bike and continued to work the throttle while Sesshomaru pulled on his helmet and adjusted his goggles. Sesshomaru motioned for Koga to move and he took over twisting the throttle, shaking his hands out a couple of times in between. After a minute he pulled in the clutch and shifted the bike into first; riding out of the waiting area and over to where they were supposed to start from. Once Sesshomaru was settled, another member of the event staff placed his hand in front of the front fender of Sesshomaru's bike.

"Congrats on the Monster Games," he said over the sound of the bike.

Sesshomaru nodded his thanks and then popped his neck while he waited for the signal to go. The guy standing in front of him said something into the microphone attached to his headphones and then tapped Sesshomaru's front fender, signaling he could start. Sesshomaru shifted into first and started to roll forward, then quickly shifted into second. He sat back slightly and pulled at the handlebars as he gave it a little more throttle, pulling his bike into a wheelie. He rode it out, enjoying the roar of the crowd as he made his way across the course. Finally, his front wheel touched the ground again; he needed to set up for his first ramp. Sesshomaru rode through a small berm and gassed it as he rode towards one of the four superkickers on the course. He did a Hart Attack Backflip and landed cleanly, taking a smooth line to the next ramp and performing a Stalefish. The rest of his run consisted of easier tricks and earned him a score of eighty-one, landing him in second behind Bankotsu. By the time he returned to the waiting area, Bankotsu was already several seconds into his second run, making it so Sesshomaru was only able to watch about half of it.

Koga reached Sesshomaru's side as Bankotsu hit his last trick. "Ban's seriously on today. He's pulling shit I never even saw him practice before."

Sesshomaru nodded. "I'm going to have to step it up if I want to take over the lead."

"Kags told me to tell you not to be stupid," Koga laughed. "And I agree. Just do something you know Bankotsu _can't_ do."

"It's not enough that I just gain the lead," Sesshomaru said mostly to himself. "I want to make sure he can't get within five points of me."

"Those are some big words," Koga muttered. "Don't do anything overly stupid."

Sesshomaru nodded distractedly, watching the leader board intensely for Bankotsu's score. It finally flashed onto the screen and with an eighty-five; Bankotsu had lengthened his lead by two points. While the two riders before him did their runs, Sesshomaru sat quietly glancing over the course, planning his new route. He paid little attention to Koga as he gave him ideas and rode over to the starting area when Kaname was halfway through his run. When it was his turn on the course, Sesshomaru skipped the showboating and rocketed straight towards a ramp on the right side of the course. He pulled off a Tsunami Backflip, with his boots almost touching his front tire. His second trick was one of his new ones; a Solo Cliffhanger, followed up by another new trick, a Windmill. He rode up and into the set of two dirt to dirt jumps, performing a Lazy Boy Backflip off the first and a Stripper Backflip off the second. He then slowed things down, putting towards the wrong side of a berm in first gear and cranking the throttle at the last second, pulling his bike around in a backflip. The crowd went insane, screaming and yelling in amazement. Sesshomaru went back through the dirt to dirt set throwing a Cordova Backflip and a Shaolin Saran Wrap Sidesaddle Lander. He took his time riding to the superkicker at the far end of the course, which had the biggest gap from take off ramp to landing ramp.

Kagome sucked in a breath and reached out to grab Inu's arm. "Please tell me he's not planning on doing a double."

"He's not," Inu said instantly, though he wasn't quite sure.

Sesshomaru rode up the ramp and flew into the air. He pulled his feet from the pegs and tucked his knees into his chest before pushing them between his hands and over the handlebars. He used his momentum to push the rest of his body through as well, then let go with his right hand and managed to pull himself around in a backflip, letting go of the left grip to reset his hand in the process. As his body came back around so he could once again sit astride his bike, his right leg missed the seat and only found air to come into contact with. Still having a firm grip on the left side of the handlebars and his left foot barely on the foot peg, Sesshomaru tried to pull himself back towards the bike, hoping to get his leg over in time to somewhat save his landing. Time literally slowed down to a crawl for him as the ground got closer and closer. Having missed connecting with the bike, he'd lost his momentum towards it and unfortunately, had gained some towards the ground. His brain kicked into survival mode and he attempted to push the bike away from himself, lest he land on the bike or it land on him. Next he attempted to figure out how best to land to limit the damage his body would take; there was no way he was going to walk away from this without something breaking. The last few dozen feet to the ground happened quickly and the impact knocked Sesshomaru out. He had landed mostly on his left side, with his hip taking most of the impact. Luckily, his bike hit the ground a few feet away from him and slid in the opposite direction as he slid down the dirt landing ramp.

Kagome yelled and attempted to run forward, forgetting her crutches and letting them fall to the ground. She cried out in pain as soon as all of her weight was on her bad knee and almost fell due to the mixture of pain and shock. Inu caught her and pulled her into his arms, holding her so that her face was buried into his chest.

"He's okay," he said emphatically, switching between watching the JumboTron and where Sesshomaru landed. "He's okay."

Koga ran out towards Sesshomaru with Inuyasha right behind him. They reached him just as the medical crew did.

"Sir, you need to step back and give us room to work," one of the paramedics said to Koga.

"Is he okay?" Koga asked, almost yelling.

"We're looking him over," the paramedic answered, having to grab the back of Inuyasha's shirt to stop him. "Sir, we can't work if-"

"That's my brother," Inuyasha hissed.

"You need to stay back," the paramedic insisted.

Koga, thinking a little clearer than Inuyasha, grabbed his cousin's arm and pulled him back a couple of feet. "They need to do their job Inuyasha."

"But-"

"They can handle it," Koga said a little softer.

Inuyasha glanced from his brother to Koga and nodded reluctantly.


	34. BACK IN BUSINESS

**Dirt chapter 34: BACK IN BUSINESS**

Kagome attempted to turn in Inu's arms so she could see what was going on out on the course.

"No," Inu said softly, holding her in place.

"Is he up?" Kagome asked in a panic.

"Not yet."

"Is…he moving?" Kagome asked from behind the lump in her throat.

"I can't tell." Inu hugged her tighter. "Inuyasha and Koga are down there with him."

Inuyasha and Koga stood next to one another as close to Sesshomaru as the medical team would allow. Neither spoke, just continued to watch as the medical team looked over Sesshomaru and waited for some sign that he was all right. Finally, after several tense moments, Sesshomaru moved. It wasn't much, he simply bent his right knee, but it was enough for everyone to take a collective sigh of relief. A strong-looking member of the medical team kept Sesshomaru lying down, though it was obvious he wanted to get up.

"Is he alright?" Inuyasha asked the closest EMT.

"He's complaining about his left side, his right shoulder was dislocated, and we can't rule out a concussion due to the fact that he lost consciousness, but he's coherent. We'll know more when we get him back to the rig."

Both Inuyasha and Koga nodded slowly.

"I'm fine. I can walk," Sesshomaru complained.

"I'm sure you think you can, but you just fell from twenty-five feet or more, you're not walking anywhere."

"I swear, if you try to put me on a backboard-"

"It's standard procedure-"

"I can walk."

The EMT trying to hold Sesshomaru down grinned up at the paramedic in charge. "He's pretty strong for someone who was just knocked out," he offered.

"Fine," the lead paramedic sighed. "Walk, but Sousuke's going to help you, and only as far as the cart, then you're going to ride in it to Asterisk's rig."

Sesshomaru seemed to be appeased with the compromise and actually appreciated Sousuke's help as he attempted to sit up. Koga and Inuyasha stepped forward and this time they weren't shooed away. The crowd broke their uneasy silence as Sesshomaru was helped up from the ground. The coliseum was filled with the sound of them clapping and shouting out their support, happy to see Sesshomaru on his feet after such a horrible wreck. Sesshomaru undid his helmet awkwardly with one hand since Sousuke had a tight grip on his left arm and his right arm was sore from his shoulder being dislocated moments before. He attempted to hold his helmet out towards Inuyasha and swayed severely, causing Koga and Inuyasha to rush forward to help steady him. Koga reached Sesshomaru first and gripped his right arm, snatching Sesshomaru's helmet from his hand.

Inuyasha took the helmet from Koga. "Are you okay?" he asked his brother.

Sesshomaru answered with his own question. "Where's Kagome?"

Inuyasha actually had to look around for her. "She's with dad."

"Go tell her I'm okay, and they're making me go to the Asterisk rig."

Inuyasha nodded and reluctantly turned his back on his brother and headed towards where Kagome was waiting impatiently. Koga had managed to keep his position of steadying Sesshomaru on his right side, and helped Sousuke guide him towards the flatbed of the medical team's Mule.

"I'll meet up with you at the rig," Koga said once Sesshomaru was safely seated between two paramedics.

"See how much damage there is on the bike." Sesshomaru winced as he tried to shift his weight off his left hip. "And if it can't be fixed, get my backup bike ready."

"You're insane." Koga shook his head grinning. "And you have serious brain damage if you think Kagome's going to let you back on a bike today."

"I'm fine," Sesshomaru said stubbornly. "Just make sure I have a bike to ride in the finals."

"It's your funeral," Koga joked as the Mule began to pull away.

Koga wasted no time in picking up Sesshomaru's bike, pushing it off the course and towards the tents where he could really look it over. The fact that the wheels were still willing to roll was a good sign, but the handlebars were trashed. Koga would either have to swap them out for the ones on the backup bike, or simply save the time and just get to work on tuning the backup bike for Sesshomaru's finals rounds.

 **DIRT X DIRT**

"Is he okay? He has to be, right? They were letting him walk," Kagome spoke in a rush as soon as Inuyasha was within hearing distance.

"Well, he was knocked out and he dislocated his shoulder," Inuyasha began, pausing when he noticed Kagome cringe. "He was his normal asshole self, so don't be too worried about him," he attempted to joke.

"What else?" Kagome asked, knowing there must be worse news.

"He was complaining about his left side. They're taking him to the medical trailer, probably for x-rays or whatever."

Kagome nodded quickly and glanced around on the ground for her crutches. Inuyasha noticed and grabbed them for her.

"The Asterisk rig is on the other side of the coliseum, maybe we should stay here and wait for news," Inu offered.

"Hell no," Kagome said through gritted teeth.

"Kagome," Inu said sternly, frowning at how she favored her knee. "You know Sesshomaru would much rather you be here and comfortable then there and in pain."

"I'll deal with it." Kagome reached for her crutches and Inuyasha handed them too her.

"Kags," Inuyasha began, his tone pleading. "Let me see if I can find a golf cart or something. Please?"

"Why am I the only one worried about Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked, her voice cracking with emotion. "Don't you guys _care_?"

"Of course we do," Inu said softly as he directed Kagome to crutch towards the tents. "But the simple fact is he's in the hands of a very capable medical team. He's fine and he isn't going anywhere."

Kagome sank into the same chair she had been sitting in earlier that morning and allowed Inuyasha to take her crutches back. She leaned forward and buried her face in her hands, despite her best efforts; she began crying. Koga noticed and dropped what he was working on to kneel at her side.

"Kags," he said softly. "He's okay."

"I know," she sobbed. "Or at least I hope so, I just… I'm a total wreck. I'm worried, like always, but I can't stop crying. I feel like I'm losing it."

Koga and Inuyasha were at a loss, they'd never seen Kagome in hysterics over something like this before. Inu however, knew what was going on, having been through it twice before.

"It's partly due to hormones," Inu supplied quietly.

Kagome looked up at him. "Great, so from now on I'm going to be a pregnant hormonal wreck?"

"It's possible," Inu laughed softly. "It's also partially because you're worried about your mate, whom you share a bond with. It tends to intensify things."

"Really?" Kagome, Koga, and Inuyasha all asked.

"Yes," Inu answered, then smiled. "Sesshomaru's probably trying to rip down the door of the Asterisk rig to get to you right now. I'm positive he can feel that you're upset and stressed."

The four shared knowing glances before Kagome spoke up. "Koga, can you give me a ride over there on the back of Sess' bike?"

"Sure, but this one's trashed." Koga got to his feet. "I'll have to get the backup off the trailer."

"Hurry," Kagome requested before taking a deep, relaxing breath, willing herself to calm down.

It took Koga only five minutes to get Sesshomaru's backup bike unloaded and over to Kagome. Inu and Inuyasha helped Kagome get onto the back of the bike, then she and Koga headed around the coliseum and towards the Asterisk Mobil Medic Unit rig. After an awkward dismount from the bike, Koga supported Kagome while she hobbled up the steps and into the rig. A nurse wearing the trademark black and red Asterisk shirt met them.

"You must be Kagome," she said smiling.

"That's me," Kagome replied.

"You wouldn't happen to have a set of crutches lying around would you?" Koga asked.

"Oh, sure, just a second." She hurried off towards the back of the rig, returning with a pair of crutches in hand. "Here you go."

Koga adjusted the crutches to Kagome's height and handed them to her.

"Thanks," Kagome said taking them from him. "Can we see Sesshomaru?"

"He's with Doctor Bodnar right now, but as soon as he's done with his examination and x-rays you can see him."

Kagome nodded, unhappy about the nurse's answer.

"It shouldn't be too much longer," the nurse offered. "There was a minor setback a few moments ago-"

"When you were freaking out no doubt," Koga said with a slight chuckle.

"He wasn't trying to leave was he?" Kagome asked with groan.

"He was, but Doctor Bodnar threatened to sedate him and he calmed down a little bit. Why don't you take a seat over here while you wait?" The nurse held her hand out towards a set of four chairs that sat against the wall of the rig.

Kagome crutched the few feet over to the chairs and sat down with Koga doing the same next to her. The minutes ticked by, but finally Sesshomaru appeared from the back of the rig. He was favoring his left leg and covered in dirt, but he appeared to be all right. Kagome got to her feet, leaving her newly acquired crutches against the wall as Sesshomaru limped closer.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she gripped the front of his jersey.

"Yes, are you?" Sesshomaru asked in return.

Kagome scoffed and shook her head before slapping her hand against his chest. "You should be worried about yourself."

" _Are you_?" Sesshomaru repeated the question, bending his knees slightly so he could look Kagome in the eyes.

"Yes. I'm fine."

"Seriously, what about you though?" Koga asked.

Sesshomaru shrugged his good shoulder. "I'm a little banged up, but it isn't anything major."

"You have a concussion," Doctor Bodnar said as he stepped up to the group. "I highly recommend that you don't ride in the finals."

"I feel fine," Sesshomaru said as he turned towards the sliding glass door and pull it open before allowing Koga to help Kagome through it.

"If you happened to crash again, it could be catastrophic."

"I'm honestly fine," Sesshomaru said stubbornly, waiting in the doorway as Koga helped Kagome down the steps.

"It's a very serious situation," Doctor Bodnar continued. "Another blow to the head could not only end your career, it could end your life."

"I'm aware of the risks and I appreciate your medical advice, but I'm riding in the final."

Knowing he wasn't going to change Sesshomaru's mind, Doctor Bodnar shook his head. "We'll all be standing by just in case your final doesn't turn out the way you're anticipating."

 **DIRT X DIRT**

Sesshomaru was dressed in fresh gear and waiting for the final round to begin. The top four competitors would ride in reverse order of their standings, which meant Jakotsu would ride first, followed by Hiten, then Bankotsu, and finally Sesshomaru. They would each get two ninety-second runs and the one with the best score would be the winner.

"Is my bike ready?" Sesshomaru asked Koga before taking a long drink from his water bottle.

"As ready as it can be," Koga answered.

"Sess," Kagome began in a disapproving tone.

"How long before Jakotsu goes?" Sesshomaru asked trying to avoid Kagome's disappointed look.

"About fifteen minutes."

" _Sesshomaru_ ," Kagome said sharply, gaining his attention. "You're _not_ doing this."

"I'm fine, I promise." He smiled, but Kagome remained unconvinced.

"You are not _fine_. You have a concussion, you dislocated your shoulder, and you're lucky you didn't break something. If you wreck-"

"I won't wreck," Sesshomaru insisted.

"You're already leading by three points, you could still place."

"It's not enough to just place, I want to win."

"That could still happen."

"I'm riding," Sesshomaru said in an authoritative tone.

Kagome decided to use her final tactic and looked up at him, her obvious grief showing clearly on her face. "I really wish you wouldn't."

Sesshomaru faltered for a second, but then recovered himself. "I know you're not happy about it, but I'm going to ride. I can't leave this event without landing the Electric Doom."

Kagome sucked in a breath. "If you're going to ride, at least promise me you won't attempt that trick."

"I'm not going to attempt it; I'm going to land it."

"Kagome," Inu said, jumping in to the conversation, hoping to defuse the tense situation between the couple. "If you don't want to miss Sesshomaru's runs, we should head over to our spot."

Kagome sighed heavily and gripped her crutches tightly. "Fine."

Inu waited for her to crutch in front of him before turning back to Sesshomaru. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do," Sesshomaru answered after a second.

"I'm not a big fan of your decision to continue, but you should at least try not to take any more unnecessary risks. Kagome was right when she said your score might hold first place."

"I'm not planning on even doing a full set until the third run."

"Are you dizzy?"

"No," Sesshomaru answered with a slight smile. "I haven't puked lately either."

"If you feel off at all-"

"I'll stop," Sesshomaru promised.

Inu nodded then started after Kagome, saying over his shoulder, "You should attempt to make peace with Kagome before you go."

Sesshomaru chose not to respond even though he knew Inu was right. One of the event coordinators appeared with a clipboard in hand. "There's roughly ten minutes before Jakotsu starts his run."

"Alright, thanks," Sesshomaru replied.

"I can't believe your still riding."

"You and everyone else," Sesshomaru mumbled.

"Good luck."

"Thanks." Sesshomaru turned towards Koga. "Can you warm up my bike for me?"

Koga nodded but looked skeptical. "You can't kick-start your bike, but you're planning on going out there and pulling its two hundred and twenty pounds around in a backflip?"

"Just start the damn bike," Sesshomaru growled before glancing around for Inuyasha who was in charge of holding his helmet, gloves, and goggles.

Sesshomaru spotted him standing with Bankotsu just as Koga kicked his bike to life. The sound caused Inuyasha to look in their direction and Sesshomaru waved him over.

"I see you're still planning on riding," Inuyasha said handing his brother his gear.

"As of right now, yes, I'm still planning on riding."

"Well," Inuyasha began as Sesshomaru pulled his helmet on. "Try not to wreck again. I don't think you'd enjoy being in a coma."

"It doesn't exactly sound enjoyable." Sesshomaru smirked as he tightened the chinstrap on his helmet.

"Don't wreck."

"I won't," Sesshomaru said before Inuyasha took off, heading towards Inu and Kagome.

Sesshomaru turned back to Koga as he pulled on his goggles, then gloves. He shooed Koga away from his bike and then threw his leg over the seat. Koga watched Sesshomaru carefully as he rode off and circled the warm-up area. Sesshomaru continued to ride around until Jakotsu started his run, and then he rode over to the staging area and rolled to a stop next to Kagome, Inu, and Inuyasha.

"How do you feel?" Kagome asked before anyone else could.

"Great actually," Sesshomaru answered, shutting off his bike as Kagome crutched a little closer.

"I still wish you'd change your mind."

"I'm only going to do something simple in the first run. Maybe one or two tricks at the most, just to test things."

Kagome smiled for the first time since Sesshomaru had wrecked. "Thank you for not being stupid."

"I'm never stupid."

"That's seriously debatable at this point."

Sesshomaru laughed. "Can I get a good luck kiss?"

"It wasn't so lucky last time," Kagome answered with a frown.

"The tradition has brought me far more good luck then bad," Sesshomaru reminded her.

"Alright," Kagome said as she gripped the visor on Sesshomaru's helmet, pulling on it so she could kiss the top of his helmet. "Just so you know; I'm pretty not excited about this."

"I know," Sesshomaru smiled. "and I'm sorry about it."

"Please, please, _please_ be safe."

Sesshomaru nodded. "I promise I'll be as safe as I can be."

They watched Hiten's run together and when Bankotsu rode onto the course; Sesshomaru started his bike and left the little group, riding over into the starting area. While he was waiting, he attempted to shut off the little voice in the back of his mind that continued to tell him this was a bad idea and focus instead on the one that was telling him he had this in the bag. He shook his head slowly to test his vision and was relieved when the action didn't make him dizzy. He shifted his bike into first and took several deep breaths to slow down his breathing, anticipating the go-ahead. The staff member standing in front of Sesshomaru's front fender tapped it twice and Sesshomaru let out his clutch and twisted the throttle slowly, riding onto the course. The crowd cheered and Sesshomaru threw his fist in the air as he rode down the right side of the course. He took his time and rode around most of the ramps, until he finally decided on a superkicker that was set diagonally across the coliseum. Sticking with his game plan, Sesshomaru kept things simple and did a Solo Cliffhanger, landing it cleanly. He felt a little weak afterwards and decided to ride around for a few seconds to recover. With only ten seconds left of his original ninety, Sesshomaru started towards his second ramp, this time throwing down a Scorpion. His landing was clean and he felt good despite the extra physical effort the trick required. He rode off the course feeling confident and made his way to Koga in the holding area.

"Not bad," Koga greeted him as he let his bike die. "How do you feel?"

"A little drained," Sesshomaru answered honestly. "I'm not sure how technical I'm going to be able to get."

"Here's an idea; quit now and save your neck." Koga said sarcastically.

"I don't feel like I'm going to wreck, I just don't feel one hundred percent."

"You're crazy for going back out there. This sport requires a hundred and ten percent."

"I know."

They watched the last few seconds of Jakotsu's run and all of Hiten's before Sesshomaru kick-started his bike again and made his way back to the starting area. Realizing Sesshomaru probably didn't want to talk; the staff member remained silent until it was time for Sesshomaru to start his second run.

"You're clear," he said as he tapped Sesshomaru's front fender.

Sesshomaru nodded minutely as he rode forward. This time out he headed straight for a superkicker and performed one of his new inventions; the Windmill. He took his time getting to his second ramp and pulled off a Cliffhanger, but landed it with his hands in the air, adding the no-hander-lander for difficulty. With that trick ending well, Sesshomaru decided to try a backflip. He headed for his third and last ramp since his time was all but used up, and pulled his bike around in a textbook backflip, adding a Nac-Nac in at mid rotation. His landing was shaky, which he couldn't help but contribute to the fact being inverted had made him more than a little dizzy. After a few scary seconds, he made his way off the course, allowing Jakotsu to begin his last run. When Sesshomaru reached the holding area, Inu was waiting with Koga for him.

"Get off the bike," Inu said sternly as soon as Sesshomaru's bike shut off.

"I'm fine," Sesshomaru lied.

Inu grabbed onto Sesshomaru's handlebars. "That backflip didn't look fine. You looked like you were going to go down at one point."

"I wasn't ever close to going down," Sesshomaru defended. "I was a little dizzy and it took a second to get it under control, but I wasn't going to wreck."

"You're pride's going to get you killed one of these days." Inu frowned.

"I only have one more run."

"And it could be your last."

"I'll be fine," Sesshomaru growled. He was getting sick of repeating himself. "What are the scores?"

"No one's improved since their last round of the semi-finals," Koga answered. "Check that; Jakotsu just jumped up two points. He's still in fourth though."

Sesshomaru nodded slowly, trying to prevent another dizzy spell. "I'm going to keep the backflips down to a minimum."

"You'd be better off not doing them at all, especially if you're going to try your Electric Doom again."

Sesshomaru didn't answer; he knew his dad was right. He also knew he had no business attempting that trick again in the condition he was in. He distractedly watched the last seconds of Hiten's final run, in which his score remained the same eighty-seven he had gone into the finals with. As Bankotsu rode onto the course Sesshomaru kick-started his bike and gave his best reassuring smile to his dad before riding over to the starting area for the last time. Bankotsu finished his run and Sesshomaru watched the scoreboard, knowing Ban's score would have to be posted before he could start. It flashed up next to Bankotsu's name. It was an eighty-nine and no better than his semi-final score. Sesshomaru had already won. There wasn't any reason for him to go back out onto the course; other than to prove to himself that he could land the Electric Doom. He had done it dozens of times at home, there was no reason he couldn't do it here.

Once he received the go-ahead, he rode onto the course and towards the wrong side of a berm, throwing a backflip over it. He felt dizzy, but not enough that it got in the way of him heading for his first ramp. He pulled off a Cordova Seat Grab then headed for his second ramp, performing a Kiss of Death. His dizziness worsened with being inverted once more, but Sesshomaru pushed himself through it and rocketed towards his third ramp. He decided to keep his fourth trick simple, a Rock Solid, but added two tricks onto it to bump up its difficulty level turning it into a Rock Solid Seat Grab Indian Air. For his fifth trick, Sesshomaru attempted a backflip once more and added the Stripper movement to it. As he was coming out of his rotation, he realized that the back of his bike had drifted to the right, which meant he wouldn't have a chance of landing the trick. As he was bringing his feet back towards the pegs, he kicked the back of his bike with his right leg, forcing it over once more. His landing was definitely lacking as far as smoothness, but he had managed to salvage it and not wreck. It took him a few extra seconds to find his way towards his next ramp, but when he got to it, he simplified once again and did a Lazy-Boy.

Knowing his time was getting close to running out, Sesshomaru rode around the course as quickly as he could until he reached the ramp he wanted. This was it; his last attempt at the Electric Doom. Time seemed to literally slow down to a crawl for him as he started towards the ramp and then in a flash, it sped up to faster than he could think. His body automatically went through the familiar motions of the trick and in a blink, he had landed it. His landing left him riding towards the dirt-to-dirt gap and as he rode to the top of it, he stepped off the back of his bike, twisting the throttle back as far as it would go, sending his bike flying off the lip of the ramp without him. He fell to his knees thanks to his incapacitating dizziness, but that didn't stop him from throwing his fists in the air in triumph. Koga reached him first, with Inu close behind.

"You idiot!" Koga yelled "Did you have to do that? Throw your helmet. Throw your goggles, but not the bike!"

"It's not like I needed it anymore," Sesshomaru laughed.

"Are you alright?" Inu asked, broaching the more important subject.

"I feel like I might puke and I don't think I can stand without falling down, but I feel amazing!"

"Don't move," Inu said with a smile. "Let the Asterisk team look at you."

"Yeah, okay," Sesshomaru nodded, then regretted it. With a groan, he moved so that he was lying on his back.

"Is he okay?" Kagome asked from Inuyasha's arms as they approached them.

"He's just dizzy," Koga said quickly.

Kagome managed to wriggle herself from Inuyasha's arms and hopped to Sesshomaru's side before awkwardly maneuvering herself to the ground so that she was sitting next to him.

"You are _so stupid_ ," she hissed, accentuating her statement with a punch to Sesshomaru's chest. "You didn't have to make that run."

"Yes, I did," Sesshomaru coughed. "I had to land that trick."

The medical team arrived and stood by awkwardly as Kagome continued to hound Sesshomaru.

"You about gave me a heart attack," Kagome continued. "I thought you were going to wreck with that Stripper."

"So did I," Sesshomaru laughed.

"It's not funny," Kagome said in tears.

"I know," Sesshomaru agreed, sobering up slightly.

"I hate to interrupt," the lead paramedic said as she stepped closer. "but we should really look you over."

Inu helped Kagome to her feet and supported her while the Asterisk team went to work examining Sesshomaru. After a few more minutes of lying down, Sesshomaru's dizziness and nausea passed enough that with Koga's help, he could get to his feet again. The crowd cheered and Sesshomaru waved randomly to them. Koga helped Sesshomaru to the Asterisk's Mule, which would be giving him a ride back to the medical rig for a more complete examination.

"I hope it was worth it," Koga mumbled.

"What was my score?" Sesshomaru asked.

Koga glanced in the direction of the scoreboard and laughed. "A ninety-eight."

Sesshomaru smiled. "I guess it was worth it then."

"I don't think Kagome would agree," Koga smirked then turned more serious. "You've seriously got to cut this shit out though. All that stressing cannot be good for her and the baby."

"That was the last run I'm going to make until after the baby's born," Sesshomaru promised.

"That's going to make some of the other riders very happy," an EMT joked.

"Yeah, someone else will have a shot at winning now," another agreed.

"They better not get used to it," Sesshomaru laughed. "I'll be back in a few months."

 **DIRT X DIRT**

 **A/N:** I thought I'd explain a little bit of how FMX is scored since I can't remember if I have yet or not. ;)

A panel of judges assigns each rider a score based on a 100-point scale per run. They're looking for the difficulty of the rider's tricks, their style, the variations over the jumps, and the overall flow of the rider's run. Therefore, it's completely feasible to wreck late in your run and still get a high score. You can also get some bonus points for using the course in ways that other riders might not. For example, Travis Pastrana's runs at X-Games a few years back. He didn't have some of the bigger flip variations and couldn't do a lot of tricks he normally would because he had recently broken his collarbone. His overall score was larger than the other rider's because he used the _whole_ course. Literally. He was doing backflips off tiny berms, riding up the side of the rainbow rail, and going higher than anyone else on the wall. Those things helped bump up his score without having to throw some of the harder tricks that would have possibly re-injured his collarbone. Oh yeah, and he didn't throw down the double backflip until _after_ he had already won the gold medal. ;p


	35. EVOLUTION

**Dirt Chapter 35: EVOLUTION**

-Seven Months Later-

Kagome slowly padded down the stairs and into the kitchen. Koga, who was leaning against the counter, almost choked on his spoonful of Lucky Charms when he saw her shuffle around the corner.

"Shit Kags," he coughed. "You're not supposed to be walking around. You should have yelled for me. I would have brought you whatever you need."

"No, I don't need anything." Kagome held up one hand. "I just couldn't sit in that bed anymore."

"Sesshomaru's going to pitch a fit if-"

"Ugh," Kagome groaned, cutting across the rest of his sentence. "He's driving me crazy."

"Well," Koga chuckled. "He's worried about you and the kid." Koga motioned towards her basketball-shaped midsection.

"I was put on bed rest, not a big deal; but he's following me around and clinging to me as if I'm dying."

Koga stepped forward and gave her shoulder a sympathetic squeeze. "Yeah, but hey, you're due date's only a week away, so you won't have to worry about it much longer."

Kagome sighed and nodded. "Can you do me a favor?"

"You know I'd do _anything_ for you," Koga answered with a wink.

"Can you and Inuyasha maybe talk Sesshomaru into going somewhere for a few hours?" Koga took a deep breath, opening his mouth to answer, but Kagome spoke up again. "Please? I just need a couple hours without him fretting over me."

"I think I'd have better luck convincing him to let me cut his arm off."

Kagome nodded, knowing he was right. Convincing Sesshomaru to do anything that required him to be more than ten feet away from her was a major task. Even now, the only reason he wasn't there giving her a speech about how it's absolutely imperative that she remain in bed, was because Inu had insisted he come over to discuss whether or not he was going to practice for, and enter, a FMX competition that was a couple of months away.

"Well, we've got to come up with something before I rip all my hair out."

"Don't you think that's a little extreme?" Koga asked, arching an eyebrow and grinning.

"You're not the one who's been on strict bed rest for almost sixty days with an overprotective mate watching you like a hawk," Kagome muttered.

"True, and for the record, I would have cracked long before now."

Kagome laughed, and then grabbed her stomach. "God, don't make me laugh, I'll pee."

"Gross," Koga laughed.

"The joys of being pregnant," Kagome said sarcastically. "Oh, hey, new gear should be in at the bike shop."

"Yeah, and?"

"That can be your excuse to get Sesshomaru out of the house."

"Why would he go to a bike shop and buy gear when he can have anything he wants just over-nighted to him for free by his sponsors?"

"Come on," Kagome sighed, exasperated. "Work with me here. Tell him you want new gear. Anything. I don't care. I just want ten minutes to myself."

"Okay, okay," Koga said quickly since Kagome looked like she might cry. "I'll get him out of the house somehow, alright?"

"Thank you," Kagome sniffed.

"Sure thing. Now, if you don't want him to carry you back upstairs when he comes busting through that door in about thirty seconds, we better get you settled on the couch." Koga placed his hand on the small of Kagome's back and directed her towards the couch in the living room.

Once he had her situated comfortably, Kagome looked up at him smiling.

"What?" Koga asked, knowing she wanted something.

"Can you bring me some water?"

"Yeah. Anything else?"

"Nope."

Koga turned his back on her and headed back towards the kitchen just as the front door opened and Sesshomaru rushed through it.

"Kagome?" He called as he rushed towards the stairs.

"Dude," Koga said, catching Sesshomaru's attention; he pointed towards the couch.

"I'm in here," Kagome said, craning her neck so she could see Sesshomaru.

He changed course, and made his way to her side, kneeling in front of her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Kagome answered with a smile.

"I felt-"

"It wasn't any big deal," Kagome interrupted. "Koga-"

"What did you do?" Sesshomaru accused, glairing up at Koga as he approached with Kagome's glass of water in hand.

"I didn't do anything," Koga defended, handing Kagome her water.

"It wasn't anything," Kagome said to gain Sesshomaru's attention again. "I just had a moment."

Sesshomaru observed her for a few seconds before sighing, apparently convinced. "What are you doing down here anyway? You're not supposed to be doing any walking other than to the bathroom and back."

"I'm fine." Kagome rolled her eyes. "Oh hey, Kouga had a great idea," Kagome began, glancing up at Koga.

"I did?" he asked confused.

"Yes, _remember_?" Kagome bit out and then changed her tone. "He was talking about hitting the bike shop to check out the new gear."

Sesshomaru failed to see the greatness in the idea, so Kagome prompted with an enthusiastic, "Doesn't that sound fun?"

"No…?"

"I wish I could go…"

Sesshomaru and Koga agreed with one another, both voicing their disapproval with, "Absolutely not." and "Hell no."

"I know," Kagome sighed, then added in a mocking tone, "You have to stay in bed. Don't walk around. Blah. Blah. Blah."

"We're only concerned with your wellbeing," Sesshomaru insisted.

"I know," Kagome said softly.

"We could bring you something back," Koga suggested and Kagome smiled up at him.

"That'd be awesome," she said jumping on that idea immediately.

"What could you possibly want from a bike shop?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Gloves," Kagome answered.

"Gloves? What do you need gloves for? You can't ride right now," Sesshomaru pointed out.

"I want those Ryan Dungey replicas. If they have it, I want the helmet too."

"That helmet's got to be at least five hundred bucks," Koga laughed.

"Call it a last second baby shower gift," Kagome teased.

"I can't leave you here alone." Sesshomaru frowned, torn between wanting to get her something she really wanted and being at her side.

"I'll be fine," Kagome insisted. "We'll be fine," she corrected, rubbing her belly.

"You have to promise me you won't leave this couch."

"Where am I going to go?"

"Knowing you? You'll probably hijack a bike and take it into the foam pit a couple dozen times," Koga said laughing.

"That's _not_ funny," Sesshomaru said seriously and then cracked a smile. "Don't give her ideas."

"I swear I'll stay on the couch," Kagome said, trying to keep from laughing.

"And keep your cell phone in your hand the whole time," Sesshomaru added.

"I can't keep it on the coffee table?"

"I'll duct tape it to your hand," Sesshomaru threatened.

"Okay, I promise I'll keep my cell phone _in_ hand."

Sesshomaru nodded as he stood. "Is there anything else you need before we go?"

"No, but you should probably invite Inuyasha."

"Will do," Koga said heading towards the front door.

"I'll let mom and dad know to check on you," Sesshomaru said as he followed Koga.

"I'll be fine. You're only going to be gone a couple of hours at the most."

"You swear to call me if you feel _anything_ unusual?"

"Yes, I will, but nothing's going to happen."

Sesshomaru stood in the doorway, the doorknob in his hand. "I hate to leave you."

"Sesshomaru," Kagome began, trying not to lose her patience. He was only concerned about her after all. "I'll be fine. Go have fun with your brother and cousin. Buy me my Ryan Dungey helmet," she finished with a smile.

Sesshomaru cracked a smile and crossed the room once more to kiss her. "Bye. I'll call to check on you."

"Of course you will," Kagome laughed, shooing him away.

*DIRT*

Kagome lounged on the couch, dozing as she watched a Twilight Zone re-run. Sesshomaru had already called three times to check on her and he had only been gone half an hour; but every time her cell phone lit up with 'Sesshy-poo', it brought a smile to her face. Kagome suddenly jolted wide awake, her hand instinctively touching the side of her belly where the sharp pain was located.

"Ow," she gasped as she shifted her weight slightly, trying to get more comfortable.

She did her best to relax and hoped the pain would go away, which it did after a couple of minutes. Her phone had rung in the middle of whatever the heck had just happened and she flipped it open, knowing it would have been Sesshomaru that had called. Just as she hit send, Inu burst through the door.

"Kagome?" he asked, rushing towards the couch, leaving the door open in the process. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Kagome?" Sesshomaru yelled in her ear. "What happened?"

"I'm okay," she answered both of them.

"You're _not_ okay," Sesshomaru countered.

Inu took the phone from Kagome and pressed it against his ear. "I'll call you right back."

"What happened?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I don't know yet."

"I want her to call me back."

"Okay, I'll have _her_ call." Inu flipped the phone closed and tossed it onto the coffee table, glancing up at Kagome. "Now, what happened?"

"I don't know," Kagome answered. "I just had this pain all of the sudden. It's happened before, not as bad, but still; I don't think it's anything to freak out about."

Inu breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, call Sesshomaru back before he explodes. He called me freaking out because you didn't answer."

"I was a little preoccupied," Kagome mumbled.

"Do you want anything?"

"Some more water would be great, thanks," Kagome said as Inu handed her back her cell phone.

She flipped it open and called Sesshomaru back. "Hey," she greeted.

"You're alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Inu's here."

"What happened?"

"It wasn't any big deal."

"You were in a serious amount of pain."

Kagome seriously regretted being linked with Sesshomaru by a mating mark sometimes; it made things like this much harder. "I know, but it passed. I'm okay." She heard Sesshomaru tell Koga to head back to the house, so she spoke up, "Don't you _dare_ come back without my helmet."

"Kagome, this is serious."

"I know. I'll have Inu throw you out and lock all the doors if you show up without it." She smiled.

"We don't even know if they have one at the store."

"But you're going to go and check."

"I'll order you one off of the Fox website when I get there, I promise."

"No way, if there's a chance I can have it in my hands right now..."

"You're so ridiculously stubborn."

"Right back at ya."

"Okay, let me talk to dad."

Kagome held the phone out to Inu as he set down her water.

"Yes?" Inu asked.

"Please stay there with her until I get back."

"Alright, I was planning on doing that anyway."

"Call me if it happens again."

"I'm sure you'll be calling me first, but I will. Bye." Inu hung up and sighed as he flopped down onto the couch next to Kagome.

"Tell me about it. Try living with him twenty-four-seven."

Inu chuckled. "I would have thought you'd be used to it by now."

"I am mostly. Can you get me a blanket from upstairs?"

"Of course. Do you mind if I raid your fridge afterwards?"

"Help yourself, _babysitter_ ," Kagome said with a grin.

Inu patted her knee and went to retrieve her blanket, closing the front door before heading up the stairs. Inu had just reached the top of the stairs when he heard Kagome gasp, then curse, and then yell his name.

"Inu?" Kagome cried.

Inu raced back down the stairs, jumping them two at a time. He reached her side as her phone started ringing.

"What?" Inu asked, seeing the obvious pain on Kagome's face.

She gripped the front of his shirt. "I think I'm having contractions."

"What can I do to help? Do you think you're ready to go to the hospital?" Inu asked.

"I don't think I need to go yet. Can't contractions last for days before the actual birth?"

"I suppose, but your contractions are rather close together."

"Hand me my phone," Kagome directed through gritted teeth and Inu did as asked. She hesitated calling Sesshomaru back as another wave of pain washed over her.

"Do you want me to call him?"

"No, I should do-" Kagome gasped and looked down. "Oh shit."

"What is it?" Inu asked, obviously concerned.

"I think my water just broke," Kagome answered in shock.

"Oh shit," Inu breathed.

"Exactly." Kagome laughed despite the situation she was in.

"I'm going to get the truck, alright?"

Kagome nodded briskly and answered her phone as it began ringing again. "Sesshomaru?"

"I'm on my way," he answered.

"No." Kagome shook her head even though Sesshomaru couldn't see her. "Inu went to get his truck. Meet us at the hospital."

"What happened?"

"My water broke."

"But you still have a week until your due date." She heard Inuyasha say.

"Do you have me on speaker?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah," Koga answered. "He's driving."

"Kagome," Sesshomaru said in a tone Kagome had never heard from him before. "I'll get there. I swear."

"Hurry," Kagome breathed, realizing how scared she was.

"Not to worry Kags," Koga broke into the conversation again. "We'll probably get to the hospital before you do."

"Don't let him drive like a maniac," Kagome pleaded.

"Kagome," Sesshomaru said, sounding clearer than he had before and Kagome knew he had taken her off speaker phone. "I love you."

"I love you too," Kagome answered as Inu raced back inside.

"Alright, let's go," Inu said scooping her up into his arms.

*DIRT*

Sesshomaru rushed through the automatic doors of the ER, Koga and Inuyasha right on his heels. Inu was waiting for them near the vending machines.

"Kagome's in one of the delivery rooms upstairs," Inu explained as he led them towards the elevators. Sesshomaru nodded, but kept silent. "They're expecting you. You have to get changed into scrubs and whatnot."

"Wow, you're going in there?" Inuyasha asked as they entered the elevator.

"Of course," Sesshomaru answered. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Isn't it gross?"

"The birth of a child is a beautiful thing," Inu said.

"Your definition of beautiful and mine aren't the same," Inuyasha mumbled.

"How was Kagome when you last saw her?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Nervous, but putting on a brave front," Inu answered.

"I bet you're regretting having that link through her mark now," Koga said with a smirk.

"It gives sympathy pain a whole new meaning," Sesshomaru confirmed running a hand through his hair.

"You look like shit," Inuyasha said flatly.

"Inuyasha, shut up," Inu said quickly as they stepped from the elevator and headed towards the nurse's station.

"Sesshomaru's here," Inu said to the young blond nurse behind the counter.

"Good timing," she said with a smile. "If you go just down the hall and knock on the third door on the right, Nikki will meet you and get you changed."

Sesshomaru nodded his thanks and headed down the hall.

"So what the heck do we do?" Inuyasha asked.

"Wait in the waiting room with your mother," Inu answered.

Sesshomaru did as he was directed and knocked on the third door he came too. A tall, dark-haired nurse opened the door, looking frazzled.

"Um…Nikki?" Sesshomaru began, unsure of what he should say.

"Are you the daddy?" Nikki asked.

"Yeah," Sesshomaru answered, unable to keep from smiling.

"You got here just in the nick of time," Nikki said as she grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room. "I haven't seen someone fly through labor this fast in a long time."

She led Sesshomaru into the room and he just caught a glimpse of Kagome before Nikki guided him towards the bathroom.

"Your father helped us guess your size for scrubs. I've put a set in there for you, so just change as quick as you can and come back out here."

"Alright." Sesshomaru nodded and disappeared into the bathroom.

Kagome let out a pained yelp as another contraction ripped through her, and Sesshomaru leapt from the bathroom, dressed in his fresh scrubs. Nikki did her best to keep him from running to Kagome's side, instead, steering him towards the head of the delivery table. Sesshomaru pried Kagome's hand from the sheet and held it, letting her mash his hand instead.

"Hey," he said softly, wiping the sweat from her forehead with his free hand.

"You made it," Kagome panted.

"Of course I did. I wasn't about to miss this."

"You almost did." Kagome closed her eyes for a few seconds. "I didn't think it would be this fast."

"You're a lucky young lady," one of the nurses said, patting Kagome's knee. "Some girls are in here for hours on end, or even several days in labor. You're going to have it all over and done with in a couple hours."

"Yay," Kagome said unenthusiastically.

"Alright Kagome," her doctor said as she pulled on a fresh set of gloves. "You're fully dilated; on your next contraction I want you to push okay?"

Kagome nodded and squeezed Sesshomaru's hand tightly.

*DIRT*

Kagome woke slowly, not really wanting to open her eyes. The soft, content-sounding mews coming from somewhere in the room finally brought her around, and she opened her eyes completely. Sesshomaru stood in front of the window, with his back to it, still dressed in scrubs, holding their son, bundled in a blue blanket. Sesshomaru was watching him carefully as he made little movements and sounds in his sleep. Kagome smiled, loving the tender look that was on Sesshomaru's face. He looked up suddenly and smiled back at her.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"How long was I asleep?"

"A couple of hours," Sesshomaru answered as he stepped closer to the bed, carefully, so he wouldn't wake the baby in his arms. "They only brought him in here maybe ten minutes ago."

Kagome held her hand out to him and Sesshomaru safely cradled the baby in the crook of one arm so he could take her hand in his.

"I'm proud of you," Sesshomaru said suddenly.

Kagome scoffed lightly. "For what?"

"You delivered him without the help of any pain medication."

"There wasn't time," Kagome cringed at the memory.

"My hand and ears may never be the same," Sesshomaru teased softly.

"Well that's what you get," Kagome teased right back. "Aren't you going to offer for me to hold him?"

Sesshomaru looked apprehensive. "Shouldn't we let him continue sleeping?"

Kagome bit her lip to keep from laughing. "You just don't want to let him go," she accused grinning.

"It's the first time I've really gotten to hold him," Sesshomaru confessed with a crooked grin.

"Has everyone seen him?"

"Only from the wrong side of the glass in the nursery; he was so wrapped up we couldn't really see much of him though. Mom won't stop texting me, asking if you're awake yet."

Kagome laughed. "You better text her back."

Sesshomaru let go of her hand so he could grab his cell phone from the side table. Kagome relaxed and sank back into the starched pillows behind her, noticing how Sesshomaru handled their newborn with such ease.

"You know you're going to have to give him up as soon as she gets in here right?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah," Sesshomaru sighed.

Almost as soon as Sesshomaru had finished speaking, there was a knock on the door of their private room. Instead of calling out, Sesshomaru made his way to the door and opened it, letting in a flood of family members.

"Ooh," Izayoi cooed as she crowded Sesshomaru, pulling the blanket the baby was wrapped in further away from his little face. "He's so adorably precious."

"Sweet." Inuyasha grinned. "He's got ears."

"Of course he has ears," Koga laughed.

"I meant he's got ears like mine," Inuyasha clarified, gently gripping one of the fuzzy triangles in question.

"What color are his eyes?" Inu asked.

"Amber," Sesshomaru answered.

"So basically, he looks exactly like his father," Kagome said, causing everyone to look in her direction.

"Good job Kags. Just what the world needed, _another_ Sesshomaru," Koga teased as he crossed the room. He set a huge gift bag next to her on the bed before leaning in to kiss her forehead. "You look gorgeous," he smirked.

"Liar," Kagome laughed, swatting halfheartedly at his arm. "I know for a fact that I look horrid."

"Not true," Sesshomaru said seriously and Kagome smiled at him.

"How are you feeling?" Inu asked.

"About as good as someone who just gave birth to an eight pound baby I guess," Kagome answered grinning.

"Well, you look like a radiant new mommy," Izayoi said leaving Sesshomaru momentarily to give Kagome a hug. She turned back to Sesshomaru. "I hope you're not planning on keeping him from me."

"Of course not," Sesshomaru smiled and carefully handed the infant to his mother, then moved to stand next to Kagome's bed.

"He's so precious," Izyaoi squealed softly. "Sesshomaru said you had decided on Toshi for his name?" She asked turning back towards Kagome.

Kagome nodded and smiled. "It seemed appropriate."

"Mirror image?" Inu asked, translating the name. "That seems a little risky," he teased.

"Definitely," Inuyasha laughed.

"Hey," Koga said as he gripped the handle of the bag he'd placed on Kagome's bed. "Open your present."

"Ooo, presents." Kagome smiled as she pulled the bag away from Koga.

She reached inside and pulled out a tiny black t-shirt with a neon yellow Fox in its center.

"It's six months, but that was the smallest size they had," Koga explained.

"It's so tiny," Kagome commented, grinning as she handed the shirt to Sesshomaru and reached into the bag again. This time she pulled out a black drawstring bag. "You guys actually got it?" She asked in amazement, knowing the bag held a helmet.

"Well, you wanted it bad enough," Koga laughed as Kagome pulled the nylon bag from off the helmet, revealing its shiny newness.

"As soon as Sesshomaru let us know everything was alright and we checked out the munchkin in the nursery, we went to the shop and grabbed it," Inuyasha explained.

"They didn't have your gloves though," Koga said regretfully.

"I can't believe you got me the helmet," Kagome said excitedly, turning it so she could admire its entire design.

"I think I'm a little jealous," Sesshomaru laughed. "You've never wanted a replica of my helmet."

"You didn't win both the supercross and motocross championships as a rookie," Kagome teased.

"I won the motocross championship several times when I raced," Sesshomaru defended with a frown.

"I'm kidding," Kagome laughed, setting the helmet aside. "It's just a cool looking helmet."

"Too bad it has Rock Star's logos all over it," Inu said. "That's somewhat of a blaspheme in your house."

"A couple of well-placed Red Bull stickers can fix that," Sesshomaru replied, picking up the helmet.

"Don't you dare," Kagome hissed, ripping the helmet from Sesshomaru's hands and handing it to Koga. "Protect this."

Everyone's laughter woke up Toshi, and he let his presence be known with an ear-piercing cry.

"He's got Kagome's lungs," Koga teased, for which he received a glare from Sesshomaru and a slap to the back of the head from Inu.

"Shh," Izyaoi soothed, gently rocking him as she stepped closer to the bed and handed him to Kagome.

Kagome took Toshi, smiling brightly. It was as if a light switch had been flipped; Toshi instantly quieted down while he gazed up at Kagome.

"That's pretty impressive," Inu commented. "Nothing would shut Inuyasha up as a baby."

"A baby?" Sesshomaru asked with a laugh. "Nothing shuts him up now."

"You know what," Inuyasha began in angrily.

"That's a very good sign," Izyaoi said, ignoring the banter between her sons that broke out. "He's going to be a wonderful baby."

"He's perfect," Kagome said softly, beaming as she smoothed down Toshi's soft silver hair.

*DIRT*

Four weeks later the Taisho household received some welcome guests when Bankotsu and Jakotsu showed up to train with Sesshomaru for the upcoming FMX event they would be competing in together. Sesshomaru, who was carrying Toshi, and Kagome met them in front of the house when they pulled in the drive.

"Hi guys," Kagome greeted brightly. "It feels like it's been years since I saw you."

"It's only been a few months," Bankotsu teased, giving Kagome a hug. "You look amazing as always."

"Thanks," Kagome grinned.

"Kags!" Jakotsu squealed happily, shoving Bankotsu out of the way before pulling Kagome into a tight hug. "I've missed you and your cooking!"

"I've missed you too," Kagome said honestly. "It's definitely less vibrant around here without you."

"And a whole lot less fruity no doubt," Bankotsu joked, earning him a punch in the shoulder from his brother.

"That too," Sesshomaru laughed.

"And this must be the baby?" Bankotsu asked, turning to Sesshomaru and Toshi.

"Yep," Kagome answered. "This is Toshi."

"Wow," Bankotsu breathed. "He's looks just like you," he glanced up at Sesshomaru.

"Hopefully that's where the similarities end," Jakotsu teased. "We don't need another Taisho dominating the sport. It's been kinda nice pulling in a few first places with you away."

"Hope you enjoyed them while you could, because starting next month, I'm going to regain my rightful place at the top," Sesshomaru said with a cocky grin.

"Well, at least you won't have to worry about Toshi for a while," Kagome commented.

"If he's anything like his daddy, he'll probably be out there as soon as he can walk," Jakotsu laughed.

"Hopefully not," Kagome said honestly. "It'd be nice not to have to worry about both of them out there risking their necks."

"This is just too weird," Bankotsu said suddenly. "Seeing you with a baby in your arms," he clarified once Sesshomaru gave him a questioning look.

"You look happy," Jakotsu commented.

"I am," Sesshomaru confirmed with a grin as he reached for Kagome and pulled her to his side.

"Aww," Jakotsu cooed. "The perfect family."

"The perfect FMX-dominating family," Bankotsu corrected, causing the little group to laugh.

"Well, the guest house is all yours and ready to go, if you guys want to unpack your stuff before you unload your bikes," Kagome offered.

"Thanks." Bankotsu smiled.

"Oh, before we do anything else, you have to open the presents we brought you," Jakotsu announced, clapping his hands together with a grin plastered on his face. "Well, they're not really for _you_. They're for Toshi," he said over his shoulder as he headed back towards the truck.

"He insisted that we bring them, since he missed the baby shower and all," Bankotsu said with a sigh.

"Don't let him fool you," Jakotsu laughed. "He picked out half of what we got."

Bankotsu shook his head, but smiled. "Once we got started, it was a little hard to stop," he admitted.

"You guys didn't have to get him anything," Kagome said.

"Lord knows he doesn't need anything," Sesshomaru added. "I think my mom's bought out just about every store within a hundred mile radius."

"Well, what we've got is a little different." Bankotsu grinned.

Jakotsu returned from the truck with several gift bags in his hands and two large boxes under his arms. "I'll save the best for last, but do you want to open these out here or…?"

"In the house," Kagome said, motioning towards the porch. "Do you want any help?"

"No, I've got it. Just lead the way."

Kagome led everyone into the living room, where Jakotsu set down his overload of presents. "Okay," he said grinning widely. "Open, open, open!"

Kagome laughed as she knelt on the floor next to the bags and boxes. "Where should I start?"

"With any one of the bags," Bankotsu coached. "Save the boxes and what's in the bed of the truck for last."

"Alright." Kagome smiled as she reached for the first blue and white stripped bag.

The first bag contained a child-sized black and white Thor beanie and three different t-shirts with various gear logos on them.

"I know they're a little big, but I figured it'd be good to have some stuff he can grow into," Jakotsu said, watching happily as Kagome laid out the gifts on the couch.

"Thanks," Kagome said honestly, reaching for the next bag, which contained a small turquoise and black Fox gearbag. "Wow, this is awesome. I love the colors."

"Think of it as a motocrosser's diaper bag," Jakotsu laughed.

"I can't believe she hadn't already thought of that," Sesshomaru said with a smirk.

"Me too," Kagome agreed. "It's awesome, thank you."

"Of course," Bankotsu answered for both himself and Jakotsu.

"Open the others," Jakotsu pushed.

"Okay," Kagome giggled. "I'm opening them as fast as I can."

"Not fast enough apparently," Sesshomaru commented, shifting Toshi in his arms.

Kagome grabbed the next bag and pulled out a pair of MX pants and a matching jersey, complete with Taisho in big, bold letters across the back.

"You got him gear?" Kagome asked amazed.

"Customized gear?" Sesshomaru added.

"I wasn't sure on what number you would want for him, so I left that off. And he probably won't fit into it until he's probably two; and by then it'll be out of style, but I couldn't resist."

"You guys really shouldn't have," Kagome began, setting the gear aside to grab another bag before Jakotsu told her to.

"We wanted to," Jakotsu said.

"Still…" Kagome began as she opened the next bag. This one had a pair of tiny gloves and a set of goggles, complete with a pack of tear-offs. "You guys-"

"Just keep opening," Bankotsu cut across her, pushing the last bag in her direction.

Kagome did as told and opened the bag, pulling out a child-sized chest protector, also lettered with Taisho. "I'm afraid to open the boxes," Kagome laughed.

"You'll never know what's inside until you do…" Jakotsu teased in a sing-song voice.

Kagome opened the first box and pulled out a pair of white Alpinestars from the tissue paper. "I didn't know they even made these this small," Kagome commented.

"I had to special order them from the shop, but yeah, I was pleasantly surprised too," Jakotsu said.

"You guys went all out," Sesshomaru commented. "You really shouldn't have."

"It was fun," Bankotsu said, pushing the last box into Kagome's hands.

Kagome ripped the wrapping paper off and opened the box, pulling out a small black draw-string bag. "You got him a helmet?"

"You can't ride without one," Bankotsu commented.

"I got the smallest size they make," Jakotsu added. "but again, he probably won't be able to wear it until he's closer to two."

"Preparing for the future," Sesshomaru joked.

"Exactly," Jakotsu agreed as Kagome pulled the protective bag from the helmet.

"Ohmygosh, it's so cute," Kagome squealed, holding the tiny helmet in her hands, turning it so she could check out the neon-colored Fox logos that covered it.

"It's bright," Sesshomaru commented.

"It's what's in style right now, but like I said, in two years it probably won't be," Jakotsu said as he began helping Kagome pick up the wrapping paper and tissue.

"You guys really didn't need to do all this," Kagome said again.

"We were happy too, and you're not done yet." Bankotsu smirked. "There's one more present in the bed of the truck."

"If it's a bike…" Kagome began, trailing off as she stood.

"Way to ruin the surprise Kags," Jakotsu teased.

"You really got him a bike?" Kagome asked amazed.

Bankotsu nodded, smiling like a fool. "A KTM 50cc; completely tricked out and ready to race."

"You guys," Kagome began, unable to think of what to say.

"You're insane," Sesshomaru finished for her with a laugh.

"He's barely a month old," Kagome pointed out, motioning to Toshi in Sesshomaru's arms.

"We're preparing for his future," Jakotsu said grinning. "His bright, dominating every race track in the country, future."

"I guess we know who to hit up to sponsor him," Sesshomaru joked.

"In a heartbeat," Jakotsu laughed. "Alright, I've waited long enough. Can I hold him?"

"Yeah," Sesshomaru answered, maneuvering Toshi into Jakotsu's waiting arms.

"Wow," Jakotsu breathed in amazement.

"That's what I say pretty much every time I pick him up." Kagome smiled.

"How is he, as far as babies go?"

"Excellent," Sesshomaru answered. "He's always content and sleeps through pretty much the entire night, thank God."

"He's so cute," Jakotsu commented. "You're going to be a heart-breaker when you're older aren't you?" he asked Toshi. Toshi simply blinked and opened his mouth in a big yawn, as if he was bored with the idea causing Jakotsu to laugh. "Well, rugrat, I'm going to hand you back to your beautiful mommy so I can go unload your new bike."

Kagome took Toshi from Jakotsu.

"Well, you did good work Kags," Bankotsu said brightly.

"Yeah, it was all me. That's why he looks so much like me," Kagome joked.

"Since he has all of daddy's looks, he'll probably have all of mommy's personality," Jakotsu offered.

"The world can only hope," Bankotsu joked.


End file.
